Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is threatening to block President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security nominees until DHS Secretary Kristi Noem appears before Congress, a move that has unsettled party leaders seeking to fill key positions.
Tillis said Tuesday that he is placing holds on future DHS nominations because Noem has not committed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling her absence “unacceptable.”
“My chairman has made two requests in this Congress to have the Homeland Security Secretary [Kristi Noem] come before the committee, and they have yet to confirm that they’re coming,” Tillis said. “That is unacceptable, and so I am putting a hold on anything related to Homeland Security measures until we get an agreement and a scheduled time to come for committee at the least.”
The Republican’s blockade will stall President Trump’s Homeland Security nominees unless DHS Secretary Kristi Noem agrees to appear on Capitol Hill, according to Sen. Thom Tillis.
Tillis said his move is aimed solely at forcing Noem to answer senators’ questions and is not connected to the recent deadly shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in
Tillis said he would consider limited exceptions for nominees tied to disaster response but otherwise plans to maintain the holds.
His move follows two invitations from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley requesting Noem’s testimony, one sent in June and another in September, neither of which received a response.
The hold comes as Senate Republicans have highlighted the rapid pace at which they have been confirming President Trump’s nominees across the government. Tillis, however, has a record of breaking with his party and the administration.
Last year, he opposed Trump’s signature “big, beautiful bill,” citing concerns about Medicaid cuts, and later announced he would not seek re-election in 2026.
Tillis has also publicly criticized the administration on other issues, including remarks opposing discussion of using military force to assert U.S. control over Greenland. “I’m sick of stupid,” Tillis said on the Senate floor this week, calling for his inner circle to give him better advice on the matter.
Despite some skepticism, Tillis voted against a resolution this week that aimed to limit Trump’s use of military force in Venezuela. This measure, however, received backing from five Senate Republicans and advanced nonetheless.
The standoff regarding Noem’s testimony introduces a new dimension to Senate confirmation battles. In this context, Tillis has positioned himself both as a challenge to the administration and as a strategist willing to use his influence to secure commitments from the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Meanwhile, protesters gathered Thursday at Foley Square in New York City were captured on video chanting violent threats against federal officials, including a chant stating, “Kristi Noem will hang,” as demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement continued in multiple U.S. cities.
Video footage circulating on social media showed demonstrators holding anti-ICE signs and chanting slogans targeting federal authorities. The clips, which spread rapidly online, were recorded during a protest opposing immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration. No arrests were reported at the New York protest, and city officials did not immediately comment on the chants.
The protest occurred on the same day that federal agents shot and wounded two people during a targeted vehicle stop in southeast Portland, Oregon, according to local and federal authorities.
Portland police said officers responded at approximately 2:18 p.m. Thursday to reports of gunfire near Southeast 82nd Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported for medical treatment and were reported to be alive.
No local police officers discharged their weapons during the incident, authorities said.
