Lance Gooden, a U.S. Congressman who has consistently won his general elections since 2018, posted a series of tweets on January 10 and 11, 2026, criticizing Democratic lawmakers and highlighting concerns about immigration enforcement and public safety.
On January 10, Gooden claimed that Democrats are targeting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for impeachment due to her defense of an ICE agent. He contrasted this with the lack of similar efforts against former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, writing: “Democrats want to impeach DHS Sec. Kristi Noem for defending an ICE agent who feared for his life. But they never pushed to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas after millions of illegal aliens poured into the country. That tells you everything.”
Later that day, Gooden addressed protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging financial backing from undisclosed sources: “The anti-ICE mobs are anything but organic. Dark money is bankrolling far-left groups like ICE Watch and lighting the fuse. Americans deserve to know who’s cutting the checks!”
On January 11, Gooden criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s response during previous Black Lives Matter demonstrations and raised concerns about ongoing unrest in Minneapolis: “Tim Walz waited to deploy the National Guard during the BLM riots. The result? $500 million in damage to businesses. Now violent mobs are roaming freely across Minneapolis targeting ICE agents. Where’s Walz?”
Gooden has represented his district through several election cycles, securing victories over Ruth Torres in 2024 by a margin of 64.1% to 35.9%, Tartisha Hill in 2022 with a similar percentage, Carolyn Salter in 2020 at 62% to 35.9%, and Dan Wood in 2018 with a win of 62.3% to 37.6%. These results underscore his established presence within his constituency.
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