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Top House Democrats on Tuesday told Donald Trump<\/a> to fire Kristi Noem or they would launch impeachment proceedings against the homeland security secretary, in response to the weekend killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n The ultimatum came after a majority of the House Democratic caucus signed on to articles of impeachment introduced earlier in the month<\/a> in response to the shooting death of Renee Good, who, like Pretti, was a US citizen killed by federal agents during the increasingly violent immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota\u2019s largest city.<\/p>\n \u201cThe violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end forthwith. Kristi Noem<\/a> should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,\u201d House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries along with his two deputies, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, said in a joint statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can do this the easy way or the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump appeared to back Noem earlier in the day, telling reporters at the White House: \u201cI think she\u2019s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure.\u201d<\/p>\n Illinois congresswoman Robin Kelly introduced the articles of impeachment, and 145 of 213 House Democrats<\/a> had signed on as cosponsors as of Monday, according to a spokeswoman for her office.<\/p>\n The group includes Democrats occupying safe seats and those vulnerable to losing re-election, among them Pat Ryan and Laura Gillen of New York, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Dave Min of California.<\/p>\n In the Senate,Democrats have vowed to block<\/a> a measure funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because it includes money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/a>, while an increasing number of senators have joined in the calls for Noem\u2019s ouster.<\/p>\n John Fetterman, a moderate representing swing state Pennsylvania who has signaled skepticism with the party\u2019s strategy on homeland security funding, addressed \u201ca direct appeal to immediately fire\u201d Noem to Trump on X.<\/p>\n \u201cAmericans have died. She is betraying DHS\u2019s core mission and trashing your border security legacy,\u201d Fetterman wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cDO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary,\u201d he added in reference to Alejandro Mayorkas, who Republicans blame<\/a> for the large number of border crossings during the Democrat\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n