DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Says She Was Denied Entry Into Municipal Building For Bathroom Break, Slams Dem Officials

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said officials blocked her and her team from entering an Illinois municipal building Friday for a bathroom break.

The secretary took to X to describe the incident at the Village of Broadview Municipal Building. “My team and I were just blocked from accessing the Village of Broadview Municipal Building in Illinois. We were stopping for a quick bathroom break. This is a public building. The Village of Broadview receives at least $1 million in federal funding every year,” Noem posted.

The secretary called the incident “absolutely shameful” and blamed Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and “his cronies” for how they treat law enforcement. (RELATED: ‘These Networks Are So Sold Out’: Noem Slams NBC After False ICE Report On 5-Year-Old)

Conservative commentator Benny Johnson witnessed the incident and shared video showing a man holding the door shut while shouting “No, you cannot” as Noem’s group approached the building.

My team and I were just blocked from accessing the Village of Broadview Municipal Building in Illinois. We were stopping for a quick bathroom break. This is a public building. The Village of Broadview receives at least $1 million in federal funding every year.

This is how JB… https://t.co/vHxjSVh8LT

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) October 3, 2025

“All we’re doing is getting criminals and terrorists and cartels and gang members off the streets,” Noem said in Johnson’s video.

Broadview officials disputed Noem’s account. Village spokesperson David Ormsby told CNN that Noem arrived unannounced asking to meet Mayor Katrina Thompson, who was not in the building.

“The mayor returned her visit,” Ormsby said. He added that Thompson went to the ICE center with the police chief but agents told her the secretary was unavailable.

Noem visited the Broadview ICE facility Friday morning. The detention center has faced weeks of anti-ICE protests.

Pritzker criticized Noem’s visit earlier Friday, posting that she “should no longer be able to step foot inside the State of Illinois without any form of public accountability.”

The incident occurred as federal immigration enforcement faces resistance from Democratic-led states and cities.