Washington, Dec 12 (NationPress) Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of disregarding federal court rulings and misleading the public, which led to a strong rebuttal from the cabinet secretary, escalating the contentious exchange.

During a Congressional hearing, Thanedar claimed that Noem had violated her sworn testimony from earlier this year.

“Secretary Noem, you deceived me under oath that day. You misled the American public, and you have betrayed the trust placed in you as Secretary of Homeland Security,” he asserted.

Thanedar, the sole Indian American on the House Homeland Security Committee, referenced deportation flights that persisted despite court orders. “You flouted federal court orders by not ordering the deportation flights to El Salvador in March to return,” he noted, adding that courts determined DHS actions to be unlawful.

He pressed Noem on whether DHS was abiding by judicial decisions. “Why did you mislead under oath by claiming DHS was following all federal court orders when they clearly were not?” Thanedar asked.

Noem flatly denied the allegations. “Congressman, the Department of Homeland Security and this administration adhere to all federal court orders. We always have, and we always will,” she asserted.

She contended that DHS was within its rights to challenge rulings. “We will continue to appeal,” Noem stated, adding that at the Supreme Court level, the department had “an over 90 percent success rate… in our battle against activist judges across this country.”

The discussion grew more confrontational as Thanedar accused the department of detaining American citizens. “There have been at least 170 known instances of citizens being arrested or detained by federal immigration agents this year alone,” he claimed.

Noem again denied any wrongdoing. “We have never once detained — or deported — an American citizen,” she explained, stating that people might be briefly held during enforcement operations. “When we verify their identity, they are then released.”

Thanedar repeatedly interrupted, calling her claims false. “Not true,” he said multiple times, before accusing the secretary of continuing to ignore court orders. “Do you plan to ignore more federal orders?” he inquired.

“We always comply with all federal court orders,” Noem reiterated.

The confrontation concluded with Thanedar demanding accountability. “I am tired of your deceptions, and the American people deserve the truth,” he stated, before asking if Noem would resign if not dismissed. Noem sharply replied: “I will interpret your request for me to resign as an endorsement of my work.”

The exchange elicited strong reactions from other lawmakers, with Democrats accusing Noem of evading oversight and Republicans condemning critics for undermining law enforcement.

Later in the hearing, Democratic members objected when Noem departed before all questions were addressed, leading to calls for her to be subpoenaed to return. Ranking Member Bennie Thompson remarked that her departure showed “no respect for Congressional oversight.”

The committee ultimately voted along party lines to table a motion to compel her return.

This clash underscored the intensely polarized debate over immigration enforcement during President Donald Trump’s second term, with courts, Congress, and the executive branch embroiled in disputes over authority and compliance.

Immigration has remained one of the most contentious issues in US politics, with enforcement policies repeatedly contested in federal courts and scrutinized by lawmakers. The House Homeland Security Committee’s hearing was intended to focus on global threats, but immigration dominated the discussions throughout.