Kristi Noem Hugely Overpaid For A $145 Million Warehouse In One Of Her Final Acts At Dhs, Report Says

Before leaving her station arsenic caput of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem purchased a monolithic storage successful Salt Lake City, Utah, for $145.4 cardinal – much than half of its tax-assessed costs estimated, to beryllium utilized for migration detention, according to a report.

Seeking to expand migration detention space, nan section bought nan 833,000-square-foot storage located astir 7 miles from nan Great Salt Lake connected March 11, days aft President Donald Trump announced Noem’s departure.

Not only were section and authorities officials uninformed of nan costly acquisition earlier it was made, but nan $145 cardinal value tag was astir 48 percent much than its 2025 tax-assessed worth of $97 million, The Atlantic reported.

It’s unclear why the storage was purchased for truthful overmuch much than its seeming value. One personification acquainted pinch nan acquisition told The Atlantic that nan storage had antecedently been appraised astatine $130 million, still much than 30 percent much than it’s taxation assessed value, and that nan seller made $10 cardinal successful improvements.

The Utah storage purchase, along pinch others for illustration it, has been placed nether reappraisal aft Secretary Markwayne Mullin took complete nan department, nan Associated Press reported.

The Independent has asked nan Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for DHS, told The Atlantic that nan region was portion of Mullin’s modulation process, which requires “reviewing agency policies and proposals.”

Unnamed DHS and ICE officials told The Atlantic that nan section was willing successful purchasing a ample detention installation successful Utah because it would springiness migration enforcement entree to a hub successful nan Rocky Mountain region.

The location of nan purchased storage astatine 6020 W. 300 South successful Salt Lake City could beryllium beneficial to national officials successful transporting detainees since it’s astir 2 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport and astir 3 miles from Interstate 80.

But instantly upon purchasing, DHS faced pushback from section officials, including Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who vowed to conflict nan agency’s plans to move to storage into a detention center.

For now, nan detention facility’s usage is connected pause.

Likely, nan $145.4 cardinal acquisition is part of an Inspector General investigation into Noem’s contracting at DHS. Last month, CNN reported that nan independent watchdog had opened an enquiry into really Noem solicited contracts aft months of contention raised questions astir her techniques.

Under Noem’s little leadership, immoderate statement aliases assistance worthy much than $100,000 required her nonstop sign-off. That meant that basal contracts, specified arsenic those for FEMA, faced a backlog while awaiting nan secretary’s signature. That argumentation has since been rescinded by Mullin.

Reports besides emerged accusing Noem of delegating authority to her unpaid de facto main of staff, Corey Lewandowski. A lawyer for Lewandowski has denied allegations that his customer had immoderate domiciled successful statement review, support aliases administration.