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Kristi Noem Caught Lying Under Oath During Contentious House Hearing Full of ‘Gotcha’ Moments
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faced a barrage of pointed questions and viral confrontations during a fiery House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on
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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faced a barrage of pointed questions and viral confrontations during a fiery House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Thursday, where she was accused of misleading testimony on the deportation of U.S. military veterans.
The session, titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” quickly devolved into a partisan showdown, with Democrats spotlighting the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and Republicans defending Noem’s hardline stance. At the center of the drama: a dramatic Zoom appearance by a deported Purple Heart recipient that left the South Dakota Republican scrambling to reconcile her claims with on-the-spot evidence.
Noem, 54, a former governor and vocal Trump ally, testified for over three hours, touting record deportation numbers and border security gains while clashing with Democratic lawmakers over what they called indiscriminate roundups targeting families, children, and even American citizens.
The hearing, chaired by Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), drew a packed room of protesters outside the Cannon House Office Building, chanting against ICE raids and racial profiling. Inside, the temperature rose as Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) orchestrated what critics dubbed a “gotcha” moment, but supporters hailed as a damning exposé of departmental hypocrisy.
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Noem’s Denial Meets a Deported Veteran’s Face
The hearing’s most memorable exchange unfolded midway through Magaziner’s five-minute questioning window. The Rhode Island Democrat, whose district includes a significant veteran population, zeroed in on reports of ICE targeting former service members—many of whom are non-citizens who enlisted with promises of expedited citizenship but later faced removal for old convictions tied to PTSD or addiction.
“Madame Secretary, how many United States military veterans have you deported?” Magaziner asked, his tone measured but firm.
“Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans,” Noem replied coolly, leaning into the microphone. The chamber fell silent for a beat, with Republicans nodding in approval and Democrats exchanging glances.
Magaziner pivoted smoothly: “As Americans, we owe everything to those who have served our country in uniform, particularly those who have served in combat. Do you agree with that?”
Noem began, “Sir, I believe that people that are in the United States that are citizens have legal status here—” but Magaziner cut her off, signaling to an aide seated behind him. The staffer approached the witness table holding a tablet, its screen glowing with a live Zoom feed.
“Madame Secretary, we are joined on Zoom by a gentleman named Sae Joon Park,” Magaziner announced. “He is a United States Army combat veteran who was shot twice while serving our country in Panama in 1989.”
Park, a 57-year-old Purple Heart recipient with a lined face and quiet demeanor, appeared on screen from an apartment in Seoul, South Korea—a nation he left at age 7 in the 1970s.
Magaziner detailed Park’s post-service struggles: severe PTSD from his wounds, battles with crack cocaine addiction in the 1990s, and arrests for possession of a controlled substance and bail jumping. NPR had chronicled Park’s story earlier this year, noting his three years in prison and subsequent sobriety for 14 years.
“Earlier this year, you deported him to Korea, a country he hasn’t lived in since he was 7 years old,” Magaziner said, his voice steady. Park, speaking softly with a faint accent, confirmed the timeline: After annual ICE check-ins for years, agents detained him in March 2025, issuing a final removal order. Faced with indefinite detention, he chose self-deportation in June, leaving behind a life in New York where he’d worked as a security guard and volunteered with veteran groups.
The room erupted in murmurs as Magaziner invited Noem to “thank Mr. Park for his service.” Her response was measured but pointed: “I am grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws, and knows that our laws are important and every one of them needs to be enforced.” When pressed on reviewing Park’s case for potential return, Noem pledged, “Absolutely,” but qualified it: “Our programs need to have integrity, as well.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin later clarified in a statement that Park “self-deported” due to a final removal order from 2011, upheld after appeals, citing his “extensive criminal history” including weapons possession, assault, and drug charges.
Military service, she noted, does not exempt non-citizens from immigration consequences. Conservative commentators seized on this, arguing Noem was technically correct—no forced deportation occurred—and framing Magaziner’s stunt as a partisan “gotcha” that backfired.
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A Cascade of Veteran Stories: From Wives to Fathers
Magaziner didn’t stop at Park. He introduced Navy veteran Jim Brown, whose Irish wife of 48 years has languished in an ICE detention facility for four months over two bad checks totaling $80 from a decade ago.
“She did not come here illegally, and she has never committed any crime other than that,” Magaziner said. Noem countered that it wasn’t “my prerogative, my latitude or my job to pick and choose which laws in this country get enforced,” though she agreed to review the case when pressed on her “broad discretion” as secretary.
The congressman then called attention to Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, whose father, Narciso, was allegedly punched in the head by ICE agents during a summer raid in California. Video of the incident went viral, sparking protests. Magaziner urged Noem to grant Narciso parole, but she deferred, emphasizing enforcement priorities.
Magaziner’s closing salvo was blistering: “There are many problems with your leadership, but the biggest problem is this: You don’t seem to know how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Go after the bad guys, go after the terrorists, do not go after veterans, Marines, children, United States citizens.” The exchange, clipped and shared widely on social media, amassed over 10 million views by Friday morning.
Noem’s Early Exit: ‘Canceled Meeting’ or Calculated Walkout?
As Democratic questioning intensified—Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) labeled Noem a “liar” over border security data—Noem abruptly left the witness table around 2 p.m., citing an urgent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Council meeting. Her office later told reporters the session had been canceled, but she only learned en route.
Thompson disputed this, telling reporters he’d confirmed the cancellation beforehand. The move fueled resignation calls from Democrats like Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who released a September letter from Noem admitting ICE had removed eight veterans since January 2025—directly contradicting her testimony.
Noem fired back on social media post-hearing, calling the hearing a “Democrat circus” and defending her record: “We’ve removed over 500,000 criminals since January—veterans who break our laws aren’t exempt.” Trump, asked about replacing her, dismissed rumors: “I’m so happy with her.”
The hearing amplified an ongoing firestorm over Noem’s rhetoric. On December 1, she posted advocating a “full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” echoing Trump’s vague pledge to “permanently pause” migration from “Third World Countries.”
Critics, including civil-rights organizations, decried it as xenophobic, while enforcement data shows ICE arresting 50,000 non-criminals monthly—up 300% from 2024.