Trump says he will not remove Homeland Security chief Noem

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has no plans to relieve Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of her duties, brushing off any suggestion to the contrary.

"No ... Why would I do that? We have the strongest border in the history of our country," Trump said at the 74th annual national prayer breakfast.

Noem is facing controversy and criticism following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the second US citizen to be killed by federal forces in the state of Minnesota this year.

Some 180 House Democrats have also signed onto an impeachment resolution against Noem – falling short of the number needed to pass an impeachment vote – and a Quinnipiac poll out this week found that 58% of respondents said they would support replacing Noem, versus 34% in favor of her keeping her post.

On Wednesday, Trump told NBC News that he believes his administration could use “a softer touch” in its immigration enforcement operations after federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis.

Trump also said he had personally ordered the withdrawal of 700 federal agents involved in the contentious immigration crackdown in Minnesota.