Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem several times as to whether she would “go after” blue state governors and mayors who interfere with undocumented migrant raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, eventually telling her, “I’m asking a question because I expect an answer.”
On Thursday’s The Ingraham Angle, Ingraham led off by showing clips of the Democratic mayors of Minneapolis, Chicago and Boston each saying that undocumented migrants are welcomed there. Minneapolis’ Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that he would not cooperate with the federal government’s deportations.
In another recent clip, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson criticized the White House’s operations, saying the administration “is being ran in one of the most raggedy forms of government that I’ve ever seen.”
Ingraham, after mocking Johnson’s diction, said it “looks like some of these mayors aren’t going to comply with any subpoenas.”
Noem, who showed up to the studio interview in a full border patrol uniform—the second time she’s dolled herself up in tactical gear this week, was then asked about “repercussions” for Democratic officials who defy her and President Donald Trump.
“Are you all going to follow through? And what are those repercussions going to be?” Ingraham wondered.
“Yeah, we are still going into their communities,” Noem said twice before Ingraham interjected.
“But how about with the officials that interfere with federal law enforcement?” the Fox host asked.
“You know, they will. But the federal government has the authority to go in and to make their communities safer, especially these that are perpetuating dangerous—” Noem replied as Ingraham again jumped in.
“But what about these officials who get in your way?” she inquired. “Will there be repercussions for them personally?”
Noem again didn’t offer a satisfactory response to Ingraham.
“The reality is, these sanctuary cities—their laws have caused us problems,” Noem said. “They are limiting some of our tools that we want in our toolbox, but we’re going to continue to go in and use our operations and then show in other cities how it’s working, and tell our story to the American people. The people in our community need to hear how their mayors, their elected officials are protecting the criminals.”
Ingraham, not pleased, repeated her question for the final time.
“But will you go after them personally? I’m going to ask for the third time?” she said, eliciting a laugh from Noem.
“I’m asking a question because I expect an answer. Will you go after these individual mayors who are saying essentially they are going to thwart federal authority? You guys have the authority over immigration enforcement. They don’t.”
Noem replied by suggesting that Donald Trump would be the one to ask about that.
“Listen, Laura: Nobody is above the law. Of course we will. But that’s up to President Trump. President Trump gives us the direction. I don’t sit here and make up a decision on what I do. I follow the law. That’s my job. We treat everybody the same in this country now that we have President Trump in the White House, and is he going to give us direction on how we are going to go after these individuals.”