Trump has ordered the dismissal of Kristi Noem from her role as Secretary of Homeland Security after she faced intense criticism for immigration crackdowns in Minnesota and a $220 million advertising campaign.
On 5 Mar 2026 GMT+7, U.S. President Donald Trump fired Kristi Noem from her position as Secretary of Homeland Security following widespread criticism of her management, including the government's immigration enforcement measures and disaster response.
Trump stated he will nominate Republican Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as her replacement. Trump announced this via social media just two days after Noem was heavily questioned by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress over a $220 million departmental advertising campaign.
Trump also said he will appoint Noem as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas," a new security initiative he described as focusing on the Western Hemisphere.
Noem spoke at a law enforcement event in Nashville, Tennessee, just minutes after Trump's dismissal announcement but did not immediately address her removal from Homeland Security, opting instead to read from a prepared speech.
Kristi Noem became the first cabinet-level member of the Trump 2.0 administration to be removed from office. Her departure ends a tumultuous tenure overseeing immigration enforcement strategy, which faced numerous protests and legal challenges.
Noem was heavily criticized for aggressively pushing Trump's immigration crackdown policies, which led to the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minnesota last January, sparking public outrage and violent protests.
Noem's position became even more precarious after congressional hearings this week, where she faced harsh criticism from fellow Republican lawmakers. The focus was on the $220 million advertising campaign featuring her as spokesperson, encouraging illegal immigrants to voluntarily depart.
Noem told Congress that Trump was aware of the campaign beforehand, but Trump denied approving it in a Thursday interview with Reuters, stating he did not authorize the ad campaign.
Beyond immigration issues, Noem was also criticized—including by members of her own party—for delays in approving emergency funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the administration’s disaster response.
Currently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under her leadership has been in shutdown for over 20 days due to unapproved budgets, although many employees continue working without pay.
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Source:cna