The Steady Drip: Noem Defends Trump's Immigration Policies at Hearing (Connecting the Dots: Connecting the Dots: Rep. Bennie Thompson, Kappa Alpha Psi, People of the United Methodist Church & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Noem Defends Trump's Immigration Policies at Hearing (Connecting the Dots: Connecting the Dots: Rep. Bennie Thompson, Kappa Alpha Psi, People of the United Methodist Church & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

Thursday, 11 December 2025 12:45 PM EST

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/noem-house-hearing-immigration/2025/12/11/id/1237944/

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defiantly defended the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies on Thursday during a House committee hearing, portraying migrants as a major threat faced by the nation that justifies a crackdown that has seen widespread arrests, deportations and a dizzying pace of restrictions on foreigners.

Noem, who heads the agency central to President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration, received backup from Republicans on the panel but fierce questioning from Democrats who called for her resignation. The secretary, whose testimony was interrupted by protesters calling for an end to deportations, vowed she “would not back down."

Noem, who was testifying in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security to discuss “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” emphasized in her remarks how big a role she believed immigration played in those threats to the country. Her remarks, and the Democrats' questioning, focused heavily on the Trump administration's immigration policies, whereas in years past the hearing has centered on issues such as cybersecurity, terrorism, China and border security.

“What keeps me up at night is that we don’t necessarily know all of the people that are in this country, who they are and what their intentions are,” Noem said. She said that was why Trump's administration was being “so aggressive” in “finding those people who shouldn’t be in this country to begin with.”

Trump returned to power in January with what he says is a mandate to reshape immigration in the U.S., claiming the country is under an invasion.

In the months since, the number of people in immigration detention has skyrocketed; the administration has continued to remove migrants to countries they are not from; and, in the wake of an Afghan national being accused of shooting two National Guard troops, Noem’s department has dramatically stepped up checks and screening of immigrants in the U.S.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, told Noem that she has diverted vast resources to carry out Trump’s “extreme” immigration agenda and failed to provide basic responses to oversight questions from Congress.

“I call on you to resign,” the Mississippi congressman said. “Do a real service to the country.”

Noem did not address Thompson's call during her opening statement but suggested that she and the department she leads weren't going anywhere.

“We will never yield. We will never waver, and we will never back down,” she said. She praised the Trump administration's efforts when it comes to immigration, saying, “We’re ending illegal immigration, returning sanity to our immigration system.”

It has been months since Noem last appeared in Congress in May. Since then, immigration enforcement operations, especially in Los Angeles and Chicago, have become increasingly contentious, with federal agents and activists frequently clashing over her department's tactics.

Her testimony was interrupted by protesters shouting “Stop ICE raids” and “End deportations.”

The worldwide threats hearing, usually held annually, is an opportunity for members of Congress to ask the leaders of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center about threats facing the U.S. and what their agencies are doing to address them.

The hearing offered lawmakers a rare opportunity to hear directly from Noem, but many members of the panel used the bulk of their allotted time to either praise or lambast her handling of immigration enforcement rather than ask questions designed to elicit expansive and illuminating responses.

The secretary levied broad criticism for the program through which the man suspected of shooting two National Guard members last month came to the United States.

The program, Operation Allies Welcome, was created by then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration after the 2021 decision to leave Afghanistan following 20 years of American intervention and billions of dollars in aid.

Noem's department is under particular scrutiny because Congress in July passed legislation giving it roughly $165 billion to carry out its mass deportations agenda and secure the border. The department is getting more money to hire 10,000 more deportation officers, complete the wall between the U.S. and Mexico and increase detention and removal of foreigners from the country.

The secretary's appearance also comes as a federal judge is investigating whether she should face a contempt charge over flights carrying migrants to El Salvador.

Noem will also likely have to answer to criticism from Democrats who accuse immigration enforcement agents of erroneously detaining and arresting American citizens in their rush to deport as many people in the country illegally as possible. And a number of the Democratic members of the committee are part of a lawsuit accusing Noem and the department of limiting their access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities.

Also attending Thursday’s hearing are Joseph Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the national security branch of the FBI.

Glasheen, operations director of the FBI’s national security branch, said the nation faces “serious and evolving” threats, from terrorism plots and foreign intelligence operatives to sophisticated cyberattacks and internet-enabled exploitation of children. Notably, he did not identify immigration as among the most pressing concerns for the homeland.

When the hearing was announced in September, the Republican committee chair said that besides Noem and Kent, FBI Director Kash Patel would also be attending. But instead the FBI is being represented by Glasheen.

Thompson said during his opening statement that he felt the FBI director should also be appearing at the hearing alongside Noem, saying he “can’t help but notice” Patel’s absence.

Patel appeared to be out of the country on official FBI business. Late Wednesday on X, Patel posted that he was in Brussels for a “great” meeting with Matt Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO.

Bennie Thompson

Official portrait, 2023

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennie_Thompson

Bennie Gordon Thompson (born January 28, 1948) is an American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 2nd congressional district since 1993.

Personal life

Thompson is married to London Johnson of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and has a daughter, BendaLonne, a granddaughter, Jeanna, and a grandson, Thomas.[52] He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (Gamma Rho – Tougaloo College) and a lifetime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton.

Connecting the Dots:

Bennie Thompson is serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 2nd congressional district, a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and a lifetime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton.

Ralph Abernathy was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi, the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a 1963 civil rights march leader.

Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is an organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the founder & president of the RainbowPUSH Coalition and his mistress was Karin L. Stanford.

John Conyers Jr. is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi and a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CBC).

Alcee L. Hastings is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

Barack Obama was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

Joe Leonard Jr. was an executive director for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and

the Washington bureau chief for the RainbowPUSH Coalition.

Karin L. Stanford was the Washington director for the RainbowPUSH Coalition, Jesse L. Jackson Sr’s mistress and a consultant for the Yucaipa Companies.

William J. Clinton was an adviser for the Yucaipa Companies and is the founder of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Robert L. Johnson was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi and the founder of the Black Entertainment Network.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation and the Economic Policy Institute.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Economic Policy Institute.

Larry Cohen is a director at the Economic Policy Institute and a director at the BlueGreen Alliance.

Michael Brune is a co-chair for the BlueGreen Alliance and an executive director for the Sierra Club.

Carl Pope was a co-chair for the BlueGreen Alliance and an executive director for the Sierra Club.

Leo W. Gerard is a co-chair for the BlueGreen Alliance and a director at the Economic Policy Institute.

Alexis M. Herman is a director at the Economic Policy Institute and was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ray Marshall is a director at the Economic Policy Institute and was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.

Robert B. Reich is a director at the Economic Policy Institute and was the secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.

National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is a paid for staff by the Economic Policy Institute.

Richard J. Durbin is a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, a U.S. Senate senator and Charles E. Schumer’s Washington housemate.

Charles E. Schumer is Richard J. Durbin’s Washington Housemate, the Senate Minority leader and married to Iris Weinshall.

Iris Weinshall is married to Charles E. Schumer, the vice chancellor for the City University of New York, a friend of Merryl H. Tisch and was the transportation commissioner for New York (NY).

Merryl H. Tisch is a friend of Iris Weinshall, a friend of Michael R. Bloomberg and the chancellor for the New York State Board of Regents

Michael R. Bloomberg is a friend of Merryl H. Tisch, an advocate for the ONE Campaign and was the New York (NY) mayor.

Michelle Obama was an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

People of the United Methodist Church is a partner with the United Nations Foundation.

Bennie Thompson is a lifetime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton, a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 2nd congressional district.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

People of the United Methodist Church is a partner with the United Nations Foundation.

Kofi A. Annan was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, a director at the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations secretary general and a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Ted Turner is a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the chairman for the United Nations Foundation, the founder of CNN and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Mikhail Gorbachev was the founder of Green Cross International, the president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Christopher H. Shays is a council of advisors for Global Green USA and was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Letitia James is the chair for the Committee on Economic Development, the Attorney General of New York and received her MPA at Columbia University.

Judge Arthur F. Engoron received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University, is an American judge serving on the New York Supreme Court since 2013. He presided over the New York civil investigation of the Trump Organization in 2024.

George E. Rupp was the president of Columbia University and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

Roger W. Ferguson Jr. is a co-chairman for the Committee for Economic Development and was the vice chairman for the Federal Reserve Board.

Carl T. Camden is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a director, Detroit branch for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Jeffrey A. Joerres is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Development and was the president & CEO for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Peter G. Peterson is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and was the chairman for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

John E. Sexton is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, was the chairman for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the chair Council of Chairs for the Federal Reserve System.

Lee C. Bollinger is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and the president of Columbia University and was the chairman for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Christopher H. Shays was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and is a council of advisors for Global Green USA.

Global Green USA is a US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International, a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the founder of CNN and the chairman for the United Nations Foundation.