Tillis threatens to hijack Senate business amid frustrations with Noem

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) threatened Tuesday to use aggressive procedural measures to bring Senate work to a standstill if Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem fails to respond to his offices’ inquiries about an immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina.

An irate Tillis, who is retiring this year from the Senate, ripped into Noem during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, saying that he would use his power as a senator to hold nominations and prevent bills from getting to the Senate floor.

“If I don't get an answer that you've had a month to respond to, and the remaining ones … as of today, I'll be informing leadership that I'm putting a hold on any en bloc nominations until I get a response, and in two weeks, if I don't get a response, I'm going to deny quorum and markup in as many committees as I can until I get a response,” Tillis said.

The announcement from Tillis, who has called repeatedly for Noem to leave her post, would represent a rare escalation from any senator — in particular one from the president’s party — in the face of frustrations with a member of the Cabinet. Such a move, if he follows through with his threat, would hijack much of the Senate’s standard operating procedure.

Since 2025, the Senate has voted on some administration nominees en bloc — or as a group — to overcome tight margins. Meanwhile, denying quorum and markup in committee limits how legislation — and individual nominations — can advance in the Senate to the floor.

Tillis is a member of the Judiciary committee, as well as the Finance, Banking and Veterans’ Affairs committees. Disruptions to the latter three’s work could prove especially disruptive for the Senate.

Tillis’ anger reflects bubbling frustrations with Trump’s embattled DHS chief among Republicans, who have called for some changes to the tone and tenor of the administration’s immigration crackdown after immigration officers shot and killed two American citizens in Minneapolis in January.

In November 2025, ICE launched a crackdown in Charlotte similar to what it implemented in Minneapolis and other major cities across the country. While DHS claimed the operation was successful in apprehending hundreds of unauthorized immigrants with criminal records, concerns have been raised that ICE accidentally detained U.S. citizens.