Sen. Chris Van Hollen called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday. This comes after new records revealed that a federal immigration agent was the shooter in the March 2025 death of 23-year-old U.S. citizen Ruben Ray Martinez in South Padre Island, Texas.
“We cannot believe a word from DHS,” Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, wrote in a post on X, adding: “Kristi Noem needs be fired or impeached, NOW.”
The case gained attention this week when documents from the watchdog group American Oversight, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, showed that Martinez was shot during an operation by Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At the time of the incident, authorities did not disclose that federal immigration agents were involved, despite local media covering Martinez’s death.
The shooting occurred shortly after midnight on March 15, 2025. HSI officers were assisting South Padre Island police with traffic control after a crash at a busy intersection, according to an internal ICE incident report.
The report stated that agents ordered a blue Ford with a driver and passenger to stop, surrounded the vehicle, and instructed the occupants to exit. When the driver accelerated and struck an HSI special agent, that agent ended up on the hood of the vehicle. An HSI supervisory special agent then fired multiple shots through the open driver’s side window, causing the vehicle to come to a stop.
Martinez was taken to a hospital in Brownsville, Texas, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger, also a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody, according to the incident report.
We cannot believe a damn word from DHS. They tried to HIDE their killing of another American citizen.
The victim’s family & the American people deserve immediate accountability in this case & for all of DHS’s lawless killings.
Kristi Noem needs be fired or impeached, NOW.… pic.twitter.com/u34dcnqbIm
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) February 21, 2026
In a statement on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that Martinez “intentionally ran over” an agent from Homeland Security Investigations, which led another agent to fire “defensive shots.”
Martinez’s family challenged the government’s account. Attorneys Charles Stam and Alex Stamm argued that Martinez was trying to follow local law enforcement’s instructions when he was shot and called for a “full and fair investigation.” Martinez’s mother, Rachel Reyes, told The Associated Press that her son had no prior issues with law enforcement. “He was a typical young guy,” Reyes said, adding, “He was a nice guy, a humble guy. And he wasn’t a violent person at all.”
Reuters reported that DHS stated the case is still under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Ranger Division and confirmed that it remains active. The AP also mentioned that the Texas Rangers responded to the scene and took charge of the investigation.
Van Hollen’s renewed call for impeachment coincides with efforts from lawmakers and civil rights groups seeking greater transparency regarding federal immigration enforcement actions and the use of force. Reuters, citing American Oversight, reported that ICE data indicated a significant increase in use of force incidents during Trump’s second term immigration policies.
Earlier this year, Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was shot multiple times by two CBP officers. A couple of weeks before Pretti’s death, Renée Good was killed by ICE agents in Minnesota. Both incidents led to widespread protests against immigration enforcement in the state, leading to the Trump admin making some changes to their tactics.
