WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was grilled on Capitol Hill, facing questions related to her department’s immigration efforts, including whether United States military veterans have been deported under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, invited Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart recipient who self-deported earlier this year due to a removal order, to join the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing through a video call on Zoom. During the five minutes he had allotted to question Noem, Magaziner asked the secretary how many military veterans have been deported.

"Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans," Noem responded.

Magaziner went on to introduce Park, a U.S. Army combat veteran who was shot twice while serving in Panama in 1989. Park came to the U.S. at the age of 7 from South Korea. In the 1990s, Park had a drug addiction and was arrested for minor drug offenses, Magazine said.

Park, who battled a crack cocaine addiction, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and bail jumping, according to NPR. As a Green Card holder, those charges hurt his chances to become naturalized, the outlet reported.

"Will you join me in thanking Mr. Park for his service to our country?" Magaziner asked Noem, with a tablet being held next to the congressman’s head that had Park video-called in.

"Sir, I’m grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws and knows that our laws are important and that every one of them needs to be enforced," Noem responded.

When asked whether Noem would review Park’s case, the secretary said she "will absolutely look at his case."

Throughout the hearing, Democrats chastised Noem and her department’s immigration enforcement efforts, including the secretary’s decision to continue deportation flights to El Salvador despite a court order halting the flights earlier this year. Protestors interrupted her opening remarks, chanting "Stop ICE raids," "end deportations," and "get ICE off our streets." Noem, who left the hearing early to attend a FEMA review advisory council meeting that was later canceled, was met with more protestors outside the hearing room.

Noem’s time with the Trump administration has been called into question following a report from MS NOW where a White House official said Noem was on "very thin ice" and that she would be replaced as early as January. President Donald Trump on Dec. 10 said that he was "happy" with Noem and that she’s "fantastic."

"We have a border that's the best border in the history of our country. Why would I be unhappy?" Trump told reporters during a roundtable with business leaders at the White House.

Noem remained defiant throughout the hearing as Democrats lambasted the secretary as a "liar" and Republicans offered her praise for her job.

"America is very happy that, finally, they have a president in the White House that gets up every day to keep them safe," Noem said during the hearing.

Several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, the ranking chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, called on Noem to resign.

When asked by Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan, whether she would resign if she’s not fired, Noem said: "I will consider your asking me to resign as an endorsement of my work."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kristi Noem grilled at hearing, asked to explain veteran's deportation

Reporting by Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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