President Donald Trump’s embattled Homeland Security secretary has been removed, the White House announced earlier today, following a rocky tenure culminating in the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis, questions about her extravagant spending on a new luxury jet and a $200 million advertising campaign featuring her riding a horse at Mount Rushmore, and questions about her relationship with a top advisor.
New Mexicans in Congress, who have all criticized Kristi Noem’s tenure at DHS, weren’t shy to provide their thoughts after news broke late in the afternoon.
Senator Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, via social media:
Bye, Felicia.
Senator Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat, shared this on social media:
Good riddance. Fire Stephen Miller next.
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat representing New Mexico’s 1st District,
Buh-byeee!
But we still will hold you accountable Secretary Kristi Noem.
#JusticeforCricket ???
Congressman Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat representing New Mexico’s 2rd District:
Kristi Noem’s overdue removal as Secretary of Homeland Security is a step in the right direction. I have been leading the call for her removal since January because under her failed leadership we have seen the murder of American citizens by a government agency tasked with keeping them safe, failed emergency responses from FEMA in communities such as Ruidoso, and the continued waste of taxpayer funds.
My calls for meaningful DHS reform remain the same, and new DHS leadership must take Noem’s removal as a sign that major change is needed. We cannot allow masked agents to roam our streets and terrorize Americans with impunity. Federal agents must be held accountable for their actions with independent investigations into violations of use of force and the use of body cameras. And Americans must not be swept up in mass raids, detained, and killed by their own government.
Rep. Vasquez was one of the first 20 Democratic lawmakers who led the initial call for Secretary Noem’s impeachment following the killing of Renee Nicole Good in January.
Congresswoman Teresa Legér Fernandez, a Democrat representing New Mexico’s 3rd District:
PUBLIC PRESSURE WORKS! Adios, Kristi Noem. You won’t be missed.
Now, we need real reforms at ICE.
Mandatory body cameras. Judicial warrants before their thugs break down your door. No masks.
Trump announced that he would pick Sen. Markwayne Mullen, a Republican of Oklahoma, as his new nominee to head DHS, Politico reported today.
I had to look up what “Bye Felicia” is a reference to, but then again, I don’t waste my time scrolling through soul-consuming social media. As someone who voted for Heinrich in the last election, it’s a shame to see that he behaves like a middle school girl.
PS-Thanks to this whole crew of clowns for making New Mexico a state that continues to be last in everything good and first in everything bad. Perhaps paying a little more attention to the plight of our state should be your priority instead of social media posts.