House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) stated that House Democrats would initiate impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem if President Trump did not order her removal.

“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” Jeffries declared in a statement. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he added.

Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois introduced an impeachment resolution on January 14, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. The impeachment effort has gained momentum after Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 140 of the 213 House Democrats had signed Rep. Robin Kelly’s resolution to impeach Noem, according to a spokesperson for Kelly.

A simple majority is required for impeachment, meaning at least three House Republicans would need to vote with all Democrats to approve articles of impeachment—a scenario deemed highly unlikely. Even if the effort advances through the House, it would encounter significant hurdles in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is necessary to convict and remove an official from office.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, chair of the House Judiciary Committee’s Democratic leadership, urged the panel’s Republican chairman to “immediately commence” impeachment proceedings to remove Noem from her position on Tuesday.

Should GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio refuse, Raskin indicated he would collaborate with top Democrats on the House Oversight and Homeland Security Committees to launch an immediate oversight and impeachment inquiry into potential constitutional violations by Secretary Noem related to these incidents as well as other instances of bureaucratic misconduct that could involve treason, bribery, or other high crimes.

Reporters asked President Trump whether Noem should step down from her position.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), one of the seven swing-district centrists who recently upset their party by supporting a DHS funding bill, joined as a co-sponsor. Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who represents battleground districts and had privately opposed forcing an impeachment vote on Noem, also signed on Monday.

Additional swing-district members, including Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.) and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), as well as former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), have also become co-sponsors of the resolution.