The Latest: Trump Fires Homeland Security Secretary Noem Amid Criticism Over Immigration Enforcement

President Donald Trump has fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and says he’ll nominate successful her spot Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

Trump made nan announcement connected societal media connected Thursday, 2 days aft Noem faced a grilling connected Capitol Hill from GOP members arsenic good arsenic Democrats.

Trump says he’ll make Noem a “Special Envoy for The Shield of nan Americas,” a caller information inaugural that he said would attraction connected nan Western Hemisphere.

Noem is nan first Cabinet caput to time off during Trump’s 2nd term. Noem’s departure caps a tumultuous tenure overseeing migration enforcement strategies that person been met pinch protests and lawsuits.

The Latest:

Hegseth says Noem did ‘an fantabulous job’ arsenic DHS main

During a news convention Thursday astatine U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Noem had done “a awesome occupation mounting america up for success” and commended her “excellent” activity connected separator security.

“The president is making a change,” he said. “We each service astatine nan pleasance of nan president."

Asked if he worried astir nan information of America’s homeland during nan war, Hegseth said he did not, adding that he felt Mullin “will do a awesome job.”

Mullin expressed small religion successful FEMA aft Hurricane Helene

Trump’s prime to switch Noem has successful nan past expressed skepticism of nan Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is portion of DHS and which nan Trump management has considered shrinking aliases moreover eliminating.

“If we person to hold connected nan national authorities to respond, we’re going to beryllium waiting for nan remainder of our life,” Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma told Fox Business successful 2024, soon aft Hurricane Helene ravaged parts of North Carolina, Florida, and different states.

“It’s not FEMA that’s going to respond, it’s nan section group that are going to respond and we’re going to beryllium fighting pinch FEMA to get reimbursed if they ever do reimburse,” Mullin said.

Illinois politician gladsome to spot Noem spell

llinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat who was captious of Noem and DHS moreover earlier ICE agents swarmed Chicago past autumn successful a sometimes-violent migration crackdown, offered a blunt reaction.

“Shouldn’t fto nan doorway deed her connected nan measurement out. It’s frankly not excessively soon,” Pritzker, who has been mentioned arsenic a statesmanlike campaigner successful 2028, said, adding his hopes that Mullin will do better.

“It’s a beautiful debased bar,” he said. “We saw shootings and we saw breaking nan law, we saw corruption nether Kristi Noem, so, not judge you could do worse.”

Jeffries calls Noem’s removal a “first step” successful overhaul of DHS

“We made clear weeks agone that Kristi Noem must beryllium fired aliases she would look impeachment. Her well-deserved termination is agelong overdue, accordant pinch what we person demanded,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries successful a statement.

Jeffries contended that nether Noem “taxpayer dollars person been weaponized by DHS to termination American citizens” and that nan caput “paraded astir successful a luxury pitchy and wasted nationalist costs to glorify her ICE Barbie self-image.”

Jeffries promised further action against DHS aft Noem’s departure from nan agency.

“Kristi Noem’s removal is only nan first measurement towards reforming nan lawless Trump DHS. A alteration successful unit is not sufficient,” said Jeffries, who called for “bold, meaningful and transformational changes.”

Immigrant, exile organizations reacts to Noem’s departure

Some of nan astir important migrant organizations successful nan U.S. quickly welcomed Noem’s departure arsenic Secretary of nan Department of Homeland Security but said they did not spot her replacement by Sen. Markwayne Mullin arsenic a extremist change.

“Keeping communities safe — including those of our migrant and exile neighbors — are what should beryllium astir important to immoderate authorities official,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS, 1 of nan oldest exile organizations successful nan U.S.

“We telephone connected each leaders successful this management — including nan incoming Secretary — to lead pinch nan utmost respect and dignity for nan astir susceptible crossed our country.”

Separately, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of nan exile resettlement statement Global Refuge, said successful a connection that her departure is an “opportunity to course-correct.”

“The past twelvemonth has been marked by argumentation whiplash, nan erosion of long-standing humanitarian protections, and mounting instability for immigrants, employers, and nan communities that dangle connected them,” said Vignarajah.

Bipartisan authorities watchdog warns Noem’s removal is conscionable a first measurement

Common Cause, a bipartisan authorities watchdog pinch progressive members successful each U.S. Congressional territory fighting for authorities accountability, said Noem’s removal from DHS “is an important measurement toward restoring antiauthoritarian governance” but warns that “the conflict is agelong from over.”

“Kristi Noem’s removal is simply a hard-won triumph for Americans who refused to enactment silent,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of Common Cause. “This is simply a powerful reminder that successful a existent democracy, nary charismatic is supra nan law.”

‘Long overdue:’ Immigration defense groups respond to Noem firing

Some migration defense groups are welcoming Noem’s firing but besides cautioning that much changes are needed to bring astir what they opportunity is needed accountability.

In a connection nan Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights said her departure is “long overdue.”

“For migrant communities crossed nan country, her activity represented a vulnerable escalation of policies that treated families and workers arsenic targets alternatively than arsenic quality beings,” nan group said.

But they cautioned that removing her was only nan first measurement and said nan adjacent caput must guarantee transparency and that agencies wrong DHS dainty immigrants pinch “basic quality respect.”

America’s Voice’s executive head Vanessa Cárdenas said successful a connection that Noem’s tenure was “marked by cruelty” but besides said that nan problem wasn’t conscionable pinch Noem. They said location needs to beryllium existent accountability for organizations for illustration ICE and Border Patrol.

Federal judge this week said Noem could beryllium deposed successful FEMA suit

Two days earlier Noem’s ouster, a national judge successful San Francisco ordered that nan caput could beryllium questioned nether oath successful a suit opposing unit cuts astatine nan Federal Emergency Management Agency.

District Judge Susan Illston’s determination was “very unusual” said Laurie L. Levenson, rule professor astatine Loyola Marymount University’s Loyola Law School.

“It’s an denotation that nan tribunal was really disappointment because they’re not getting a consecutive communicative from nan government,” Levenson said.

A conjugation led by labour unions sued nan Trump management successful January aft it didn’t renew expiring contracts for hundreds of term-limited disaster employees.

Illston issued nan bid aft a authorities lawyer Tuesday made statements contradicting a sworn declaration by FEMA’s acting leader, Karen S. Evans.

Noem’s dismissal didn’t needfully mean she couldn’t still beryllium deposed, said Levenson, though nan defendants mightiness reason she nary longer represents nan authorities successful this case.

Mullin called GOP legislator who’ll oversee his information a ‘freaking snake’

Mullin’s information will spell done nan Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. That sheet is chaired by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican whom Mullin precocious criticized arsenic a “freaking snake” to a group of voters successful Tulsa.

The remark came arsenic Mullin described really Paul - who often defects from his ain statement successful overseas policy, national spending and different matters - proposes legislative measures that could vessel a bigger package, specified arsenic appropriations bills and a workplace bill.

“Rand Paul’s a freaking snake. And I understand wholly why his neighbour did what he did. And I told him that to his face,” Mullin said, according to Oklahoma blimpish talk show big David Arnett, who wrote astir nan remarks connected his Substack.

Mullin was referring to a 2017 onslaught successful which Paul was assaulted by a neighbour who tackled him and collapsed respective of his ribs successful a conflict complete section maintenance.

White House: Trump thankful to Noem, Mullin is ‘extraordinarily qualified’

The White House property caput says nan management will activity pinch nan Senate to corroborate Mullin to switch Noem “as quickly arsenic possible.”

Karoline Leavitt said Mullin was “extraordinarily qualified” for nan post. She added that Trump was “grateful” to Noem for “helping usher successful nan astir unafraid separator successful American history.”

“President Trump’s migration schedule is keeping our borders unafraid and deporting forbidden alien criminals from our country, and it will proceed without interruption,” Leavitt said successful a station connected X.

Noem sharply criticized for her handling of FEMA

Noem has faced blistering disapproval from lawmakers of some parties precocious astir her handling of nan Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is portion of DHS, including a argumentation that she personally o.k. agency expenditures of $100,000 aliases more, which critics opportunity has slowed billions of dollars successful disaster reimbursements to states and moreover delayed emergency response.

“You’ve grounded astatine FEMA,” Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told Noem during a Senate Judiciary Committee proceeding this week successful which he lambasted her for delayed costs for Hurricane Helene recovery.

Noem has said FEMA should “ nary longer beryllium arsenic it is ” and has been accused of trying to weaken nan agency by slowing reimbursements to states, withholding assistance money and cutting staff.

The disaster agency is connected its 3rd impermanent leader since past January and mislaid astatine slightest 2,445 labor successful nan play betwixt January and June 2025, astir 10 percent of its workforce.

What is nan 'Shield of nan Americas?'

Trump said he is appointing Noem to service arsenic his “Special Envoy for The Shield of nan Americas” arsenic he announced her ouster from DHS.

Trump is gathering pinch nan leaders of 11 Latin American countries for a “Shield” acme connected Saturday astatine his play nine successful Doral, Florida.

The sanction of nan gathering is expected to bespeak Trump’s imagination for U.S. nationalist information strategy to put a greater accent connected nan Western Hemisphere, arsenic he looks to leverage U.S. subject and intelligence assets unseen successful nan region since nan extremity of nan Cold War. The leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, nan Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago person confirmed they’ll attend, according to nan White House.

Noem, speaking successful Nashville, confirmed she will beryllium astatine nan acme and that Trump will denote “a large agreement” that will item “how we’re going to spell aft cartels and supplier trafficking successful nan full Western Hemisphere.”

Noem reacts to her ouster

“Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing maine arsenic nan Special Envoy for nan Shield of nan Americas,” Noem wrote connected X. She added that she looked guardant to moving pinch apical management officials “to dismantle cartels that person poured narcotics into our federation and killed our children and grandchildren.”

“In this caller role, I will beryllium capable to build connected nan partnerships and nationalist information expertise, I forged complete nan past 13 months arsenic Secretary of Homeland Security,” Noem wrote. She besides said that, during her tenure, nan section “delivered nan MOST unafraid separator successful American history” and that nan Federal Emergency Management Agency had “delivered disaster alleviation astatine a 100% faster rate.”

The station followed Noem making nary mention of being ousted during a much than 30-minute reside and question-and-answer convention astatine a rule enforcement arena successful Nashville.

Noem was nan look of migration enforcement

Noem made hers nan look of migration enforcement, often putting herself successful nan halfway of nan action.

She sometimes dressed successful a flack overgarment and accompanied agents connected migration raids arsenic cameras recorded, though she does not person a rule enforcement background.

She besides posed successful beforehand of a group of shirtless, tattooed men down bars during a March sojourn to an El Salvador situation wherever nan Trump management sent group it accused of being pack members.

Noem doesn't mention her firing during reside

Noem said for much than 20 minutes, but didn’t mention her firing arsenic she said to nan Sergeant Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference successful Nashville connected Thursday.

Even erstwhile she began answering assemblage questions, nary 1 mentioned it. Asked astir early rule enforcement grants, Noem seemed to propose that she would proceed to beryllium connected nan job.

“I deliberation your champion options for backing alternatives would beryllium done immoderate grants that pinch nan department, we person circumstantial grants towards, coercion grants,” she said astatine 1 point. “So possibly what I’ll do is I will guardant those assistance opportunities to each of you truthful that you tin stock them pinch your departments and person that opportunity.”

Mullin would return agency astatine a pivotal clip

Mullin would return complete nan 3rd largest section successful authorities that has work for carrying retired Trump’s hard-line migration agenda. And he takes nan agency astatine a pivotal clip for that agenda.

Immigration enforcement during nan first twelvemonth of Trump’s management was mostly defined by high-profile, made-for-social-media operations pinch flashy names that were often led by Border Patrol commandant Gregory Bovino, who reported straight to Noem.

Noem herself often went retired connected those operations, riding on pinch officers erstwhile they went retired to make arrests.

But those high-profile operations successful places for illustration Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, often led to clashes pinch activists and protesters that were captured connected video and drove guidance to nan president’s migration agenda.

That culminated pinch nan shooting deaths successful Minneapolis aft which Trump sent successful his separator czar Tom Homan to return nonstop power of nan cognition successful Minneapolis. Bovino was besides reassigned.

Noem becomes different Trump charismatic to beryllium offered a soft landing

Noem is nan first Trump Cabinet personnel to beryllium ousted from her post, but nan president lining up a caller occupation for her is really portion of a trend.

Trump announced that Noem will go a “Special Envoy for The Shield of nan Americas.” That’s a caller information inaugural that nan president said would attraction connected nan Western Hemisphere.

Former nationalist information advisor Mike Waltz was nominated arsenic United Nations ambassador aft he mistakenly added a journalist to a Signal chat discussing subject plans past year.

Trump besides tapped IRS Commissioner Billy Long to beryllium his ambassador to Iceland aft Long contradicted nan administration’s messaging successful his little than 2 months successful nan job.

And Trump said successful August that State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce would beryllium lawman typical to nan U.N. aft leaving nan State Department.