Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spent her Sunday morning locked in a tense, combative exchange with CBS anchor Margaret Brennan, offering little clarity and plenty of accusation as questions mounted over a fatal ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis.

Appearing on Face the Nation, Noem repeatedly deflected Brennan’s attempts to pin down basic facts—about immigration enforcement statistics, the condition of ICE agent Jonathan Ross, and the status of any investigation into the killing of Renee Good. Instead, the secretary pivoted aggressively to familiar political ground, blaming the Biden administration and accusing the press of misleading the public.

“We wouldn’t be in this situation if Joe Biden hadn’t allowed our open border policies to be in place,” Noem said, claiming that as many as 20 million people entered the country unvetted. When Brennan pressed her to break down how many detainees actually had violent criminal records, Noem insisted that “every single individual has committed a crime,” asserting that 70 percent had violent charges or convictions.

Brennan pushed back, citing CBS reporting based on Homeland Security’s own data showing that roughly 47 percent of those in custody have criminal convictions. The correction only escalated the confrontation.

“It’s not 70 percent,” Brennan said.

“You keep changing your percentage,” Noem shot back. “You pick and choose what numbers you think work… no matter how much you guys keep lying and don’t tell the public the truth.”

The interview grew even more heated when Brennan turned to the Jan. 7 shooting of Good, who was killed after a confrontation involving ICE agents. As Brennan asked about the condition of Ross—the agent identified as having fired into Good’s car—Noem abruptly interrupted.

“Don’t say his name, for heaven’s sakes,” she said, arguing that naming the agent amounted to doxxing law enforcement.

Brennan noted that Ross’s name has already been published, a common practice in officer-involved shootings that later move through courts and public records. Noem maintained that Ross and his family had faced attacks, though she offered no details about who was responsible.

Administration officials have defended Ross’s actions, saying he followed proper procedures and was injured when Good’s vehicle struck him. When Brennan asked directly about Ross’s medical condition, Noem refused to answer. “I’m not going to talk about his medical records,” she said.

The standoff continued as Brennan pressed for clarity on whether Ross was under investigation or even placed on administrative leave. She cited comments from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has said the only person not being investigated in the shooting appears to be the federal agent who pulled the trigger.

Noem dismissed Walz outright, saying she “wouldn’t listen” to the governor and claiming his administration has a “very bad track record,” alluding to an unrelated fraud investigation. She insisted that the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are following the same protocols used under the Biden administration.

“So his actions are being reviewed?” Brennan asked.

“There always is,” Noem replied.

By the end of the interview, viewers were left with few concrete answers about the death of Renee Good, the status of the agent involved, or how the investigation is being handled—only a portrait of an administration increasingly hostile to scrutiny, and a secretary more willing to attack the messenger than confront the questions hanging over a fatal shooting.