Audience members stand during U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was confronted by three U.S. citizens during her hearing before the Senate on Tuesday, as one official demanded answers about why Americans were being snatched by Homeland Security agents, brutalized and arrested under trumped-up charges.
The consistent answer from Noem was that she didn't know. She repeatedly stated that she was unaware of the specific cases.
"I don't know that situation," Noem said about an agent who fired five times into Marimar Martinez in Chicago.
Rep. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) read the statements by the agent who shot Martinez that were turned over in court. The agent bragged that he shot five rounds, but she had seven holes. He also took a trophy photo of her as she lay bleeding, nearly to death. While the DOJ attempted to go after Martinez for impeding them, the judge threw the case out.
Noem said that she didn't know the particulars of that case either.
It has been a month since Martinez's attorney spoke out on television about her story publicly and just shy of a month since Martinez appeared before a committee on brutality at the hands of federal agents under DHS.
"When people look back at this time in history, there's at least some record of the actual truth of what happened here," lawyer Christopher Parente told CNN at the time.
"Have you met with these citizens?" Blumenthal asked. Noem had not, though she didn't turn around to look at them.
Leonardo Garcia Venegas was detained for hours by DHS officials when they came onto his construction site and nabbed him. Over and over he shouted, "I'm from here!"
DHS still has a press statement on its website alleging that the claims about what happened were somehow false and that ICE doesn't arrest or deport non-citizens. The "facts" outlined in the statement have been proven time and again in court.
In the Venegas case, Noem said she didn't know the particulars but would look into it.
Martinez's situation in particular is among those, as she was arrested for somehow impeding federal officers as she was driving past them, and they fired into her car, CNN reported.
"I don't know the details, but I will look into it," Noem promised.
"I don't know why you can't join me in saying it was wrong to shoot her, almost cause her death and then brag about it. Wouldn't you agree it was wrong?" Blumenthal asked.
"The way you portrayed it, it appears to be, but let me look into the case," Noem answered.
Blumenthal later asked if the agent who shot her and bragged about it was still on duty and still had a gun.
"I don't know the details. I will find out and get that info to you," Noem claimed.
Blumenthal asked if Noem would agree that he shouldn't be on the job. She would only commit to looking into the case.
Javier Ramírez testified before Congress in January that his home was stormed by federal agents with high-powered rifles. He heard one of the agents yelled, "Get him! He's Mexican!" and he was thrown to the ground.
"Wouldn't you agree that targeting someone because he is or looks like he is Mexican when he is a U.S. citizen is wrong?" Blumenthal asked.
Noem maintained that they don't target people based on their appearance or ethnicity. She also swore that medical attention is given when someone needs it, but conceded it's within 12 hours.