Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies during a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing of the Department of Homeland Security on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in Washington. Mariam Zuhaib - The Associated Press.

By REBECCA SANTANA | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrapped up two days of scrutiny in Congress on Wednesday, appearing for the first time in front of lawmakers since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement officers.

Noem came under blistering criticism from Democrats - and a few Republicans - over allegations that under her authority, immigration officers have abused the rights of immigrants and American citizens and used excessive force. She was also slammed over how her department is spending the billions of dollars allocated to it by Congress and accused of dodging accountability.

Noem, the secretary leading President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, argues she has strengthened the nation's security by stemming migration from the southern border.

She said immigration enforcement officers are following the law in the face of violent protesters. Most Republicans backed her stance, portraying Noem as a leader out to rectify immigration left unchecked by President Joe Biden's administration.

During both days of testimony, Noem was repeatedly made to answer for her characterization of the two killed protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as armed agitators. Bystanders' video and accounts have contradicted Noem's depiction of events.

Democrats questioned why DHS officers used force to yank people out of vehicles or why they'd pulled an American citizen from his Minneapolis home in his pajamas.

Noem also faced criticism from some Republicans, including most notably retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who on Tuesday called her leadership a "disaster." Over the two days, Noem pushed back on the allegations, saying that Democrats didn't have their facts correct and defended how her officers operate.

Noem's department was infused with $170 billion, money granted by Congress that has since sparked questions over where and how it is being spent.

The secretary on Wednesday was asked about her department's decision to carry out a $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem that encouraged people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.

Democrats questioned whether the contracts went through a competitive bidding process and whether Noem's associates unfairly benefited from the process.

Noem said the spending was carried out lawfully.

The Associated Press reported earlier this year that federal officers were asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter a suspect's home without a judge's warrant - something legal experts say infringes on constitutional rights.

Noem on both days said the warrants were appropriate and legal. She said their use in forcible entry was limited, saying that they were only used 28 times under her authority, without saying where they were used.

But the warrants' use received pushback even from Republicans. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said he's a "strong proponent of the Fourth Amendment, and I think it would be helpful if we stuck to that."