Frustration with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is mounting among House Republicans over her response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
Why it matters: They soon could soon be forced to go on the record about whether they still support Noem if Democrats move to force a vote on impeachment.
- For vulnerable Republicans, the prospect of an impeachment vote tied to immigration enforcement efforts would be particularly painful.
Driving the news: Dozens of House Republicans are publicly pushing for more oversight and answers about Pretti's shooting. Privately, frustration with Noem has been building for months.
- Saturday's killing, and the botched messaging that followed, was a breaking point for some lawmakers, multiple aides told Axios.
- When President Trump dispatched White House Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota on Monday, droves of Republicans went out of their way to praise the move — a subtle rebuke of Noem.
- While no House Republicans have publicly called for her resignation, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called on Noem to resign on Tuesday.
Between the lines: Some moderate Republicans have expressed unease with the administration's enforcement efforts.
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and his Problem Solvers Caucus co-chair, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), sent a letter to President Trump on Tuesday asking for a meeting on immigration and border security amid the public's growing "rejection" of immigration enforcement efforts.
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), another vulnerable member, wrote that the shootings of Pretti and Renee Good "show that what the country has been doing is not working," in a sharply worded op-ed Tuesday. Lawler also called for immigration reform.
- "Hispanics are leaving the GOP in large numbers, and pretending otherwise won't fix it. As Republicans, we must reverse course and act now," Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) said Wednesday. She has long been pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.
The other side: "DHS enforces the laws Congress passes, period. If certain members don't like those laws, changing them is literally their job," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
The intrigue: Democrats see an opening with Republicans who have been critical of the administration's handling of the shooting.
- Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), who is leading the impeachment effort, is planning outreach to Republican offices, her spokesperson told Axios.
The bottom line: For the majority of House Republicans, loyalty to Trump matters most.
- Trump defended Noem on Tuesday, saying she's doing a "very good job." He also called Murkowski and Tillis "losers" and "terrible senators" in an interview with ABC News.
- Members wary of incurring Trump's wrath (which is most of the conference) are unlikely to side with Democrats.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Axios' Andrew Solender contributed
