Washington, March 3 (NationPress) A recent US Senate oversight hearing regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) escalated into a heated exchange on Tuesday, as Democratic lawmakers accused the agency of employing excessive force and infringing upon civil liberties. In response, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem firmly dismissed these allegations, asserting that the agency's enforcement actions are within legal boundaries.

During the hearing, Senator Richard Durbin, the leading Democrat on the committee, criticized Noem's leadership, claiming the department operates without a moral compass or regard for the rule of law. He charged that immigration officials have displayed "unspeakable cruelty" towards children, immigrant families, and even American citizens.

Durbin confronted Noem over previous public statements in which individuals were labeled as "domestic terrorists" following tragic incidents. He expressed that such characterizations inflicted "immeasurable pain" on affected families and questioned whether the DHS Secretary would reconsider her statements.

Noem replied by saying that the department expresses "condolences" to impacted families and strives to provide the public with as much transparency as possible, based on information from agents on the ground.

She emphasized that DHS will "continue to ensure" accurate information is shared with the American people.

Senator Durbin also highlighted statistics indicating that fewer than 14% of immigrants arrested during former President Donald Trump's initial year had committed violent offenses. He warned that broad enforcement measures risk ensnaring individuals who do not pose serious threats.

He referred to a purported "3,000 arrests per day" target, implying that such quotas would necessitate aggressive and indiscriminate operations.

While Noem did not specifically address the quota claim, she asserted that the department is acting in accordance with laws passed by the US Congress.

Additionally, Durbin accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of conducting operations in cities without prior coordination with local law enforcement and doing so while dressed in "paramilitary gear". He further alleged that the agency has violated court orders and constitutional rights, particularly the Fourth Amendment's protections against unauthorized entry.

Noem defended the use of administrative warrants by the department, stating that this is the legal framework established by Congress. She noted that, of the "400,000 cases" in which ICE has employed these warrants, they were used to enter homes only "28 times" and emphasized that this method has been validated by the Supreme Court as lawful.