Trump said he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead the agency.
WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is removing Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and will nominate Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to take her place, a shakeup that follows a bruising week of congressional scrutiny over immigration enforcement and department management.
The change marks the first cabinet-level departure in Trump’s second term and comes as the homeland security department remains at the center of his agenda on immigration, border enforcement and disaster response. Noem, a former South Dakota governor who built a national profile as a Trump ally, faced sharp questions from both Democrats and Republicans in hearings this week. Trump said Noem will shift into a new role tied to a Western Hemisphere security effort, while Mullin is set to step into the job at the end of the month.
Trump announced the move in a social media post and said Mullin would become homeland security secretary effective March 31. “I am pleased to announce” Mullin as the new leader of the department, Trump wrote, calling him “highly respected.” Trump said Noem will serve as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” a title the White House has linked to a new regional initiative that officials say will focus on security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. The announcement came two days after Noem testified on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers pressed her about the department’s immigration operations, spending decisions and how the agency handled a series of controversies that drew protests and lawsuits.
Noem’s departure follows weeks of mounting criticism over enforcement actions that unfolded under her watch, including a high-profile incident in Minneapolis in which immigration officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens, according to accounts described by federal officials and lawmakers. The deaths set off public outrage and renewed questions about how immigration agents identify targets, how they use force and what oversight exists when operations go wrong. The case also intensified pressure on the administration from both sides of the aisle, with Democrats calling for accountability and some Republicans privately questioning whether the department had lost control of its message and its tactics.
In her hearings this week, Noem defended the department’s strategy and said DHS was carrying out Trump’s directives to increase enforcement and deter illegal immigration. But lawmakers pointed to what they called conflicting public statements and a lack of clear answers on key decisions. Several questioned the department’s handling of detentions involving U.S. citizens and asked for details on internal reviews tied to deaths in custody and allegations of overly aggressive raids. Others focused on disaster response funding and the pace of aid distribution after major storms, arguing that delays left states and local governments waiting too long for help. Noem told lawmakers the department was balancing competing demands across border operations, immigration detention and emergency management while working within the administration’s policy goals.
One flashpoint involved an expensive advertising campaign tied to DHS. Trump said Thursday that Noem misled Congress when she suggested she had his approval for a $220 million campaign that featured her prominently. Trump told reporters he had not known about the campaign, and the issue became a shorthand for what critics described as a department more focused on messaging than management. A Republican senator, asked about the dispute, described it as a clear case of two accounts that do not match. The White House did not immediately provide additional details about who authorized the spending or what internal review, if any, is underway.
Noem’s tenure also drew legal challenges from advocacy groups and some local officials who said DHS actions violated court orders or exceeded federal authority. Those disputes played out in courtrooms and in street protests as immigration operations expanded in several metro areas. The administration argues it is enforcing the law and protecting communities, while critics say the department has swept too broadly and failed to put guardrails around high-risk operations. The controversy deepened as reports circulated of detentions of U.S. citizens caught up in enforcement actions, fueling calls for tighter standards and stronger verification before agents make arrests.
Mullin, a Republican who has aligned closely with Trump on border policy, enters the spotlight as the administration faces pressure to show results. Officials have set ambitious targets for deportations and detentions, while also promising quick responses to hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits inside DHS. Critics say the department has struggled to meet competing goals and has leaned too heavily on high-visibility operations that create political backlash. Supporters say the department is finally using its full authority, and they argue that any turbulence reflects the scale of the challenge.
The appointment of a sitting senator sets up a new political test. Trump said he will nominate Mullin, a move that will require Senate confirmation to make the job permanent. Federal law allows certain officials to serve in an acting capacity for limited periods under specific conditions, and the White House indicated Mullin could step into leadership as the transition begins. A DHS leadership change can ripple quickly across agencies that include immigration enforcement, the Secret Service, the Coast Guard and FEMA, each with separate missions but linked by budget decisions and the department’s overall management.
Noem, meanwhile, leaves behind an agency that has been operating under intense scrutiny. During her time leading DHS, the department faced repeated questions about the use of force, detention standards and how it coordinates with local law enforcement. The Minneapolis shootings became a focal point because video evidence and early statements appeared to conflict, according to lawmakers who reviewed briefings. That gap added to claims that the department moved too fast to defend agents before all facts were known. Noem at one point described parts of the unrest surrounding enforcement actions in stark terms that critics said inflamed tensions and blurred the line between political rhetoric and operational decision-making.
The White House has not said whether any of the controversies will lead to disciplinary action for officials below Noem or to changes in rules for immigration operations. Some lawmakers have pushed for independent reviews, while others have urged DHS to tighten internal controls and improve transparency about when and why U.S. citizens are detained. DHS has said it conducts internal investigations after serious incidents and works with the Justice Department when appropriate. In public testimony, Noem said the department aims to follow the law and that individual cases can involve rapidly changing circumstances that make decisions difficult in the moment.
Trump’s decision to move Noem rather than keep her at DHS suggests he wanted to close a chapter that had begun to distract from his broader agenda. The department remains a primary engine for implementing immigration policy, and senior aides have argued that high-profile missteps undercut the administration’s message about order and control. Trump’s allies have defended Noem as a loyal official who took on a difficult assignment, but several Republicans acknowledged this week that the headlines had become a problem and that the department needed steadier leadership.
Mullin has built a public persona as a blunt, confrontational lawmaker and a reliable Trump vote. As homeland security secretary, he would inherit a department that oversees roughly a quarter-million employees and a wide range of responsibilities, from airport screening and cyber defense to disaster aid and counterterrorism coordination. Leadership changes at the top can trigger shifts in priorities, budgets and personnel. They can also affect how aggressively DHS interprets White House directives, especially on immigration and border enforcement, where small policy adjustments can have large real-world effects.
The administration has framed “Shield of the Americas,” the new title given to Noem, as part of a plan to deepen cooperation with partners in the Western Hemisphere on migration routes, cartel violence and regional security. Trump has signaled he wants agreements that push enforcement farther from the U.S. border, including stronger efforts to stop migrants before they reach the United States. It remains unclear what authority Noem will have in the envoy role, what budget would support it and how it will interact with the State Department and other agencies that traditionally lead diplomacy.
At the Capitol this week, the clash between Noem and lawmakers offered a preview of the political fights ahead for her successor. Democrats argued that DHS has gone too far and has not been transparent, and they said the department’s posture has made communities less safe by heightening fear and mistrust. Republicans pressed Noem from a different direction, questioning whether the department’s results matched the administration’s promises and whether the leadership team had managed funds responsibly. Several lawmakers asked pointed questions about the advertising campaign, the department’s compliance with court orders and the timeline of decisions in cases that ended with deaths or serious injuries.
The agency’s challenges extend beyond immigration. FEMA has faced criticism for delays in processing disaster assistance, and some state leaders have complained about unclear guidance after major storms. DHS also faces constant demands related to cyber threats and infrastructure security, especially as local governments and businesses report increasing ransomware attacks. A leadership change can raise concerns about continuity in these areas, even as the White House focuses public attention on immigration enforcement. DHS officials say they can pursue multiple missions at once, but critics argue that resources and leadership attention are finite.
The Minneapolis shootings remain a major unresolved issue. Officials have not released a full public account of what happened, and lawmakers have demanded more records about the operation, including who approved it, what intelligence supported it and how agents identified the individuals who were killed. Some members of Congress have called for the release of body camera footage and internal communications, while others have asked for an inspector general review. The department has said it will provide briefings and cooperate with oversight requests, but it has not committed to a public timeline for releasing more information.
As news of Noem’s removal spread Thursday, reactions divided along familiar lines. Trump allies portrayed the change as a reset that keeps the administration’s immigration goals intact while bringing in a new leader who can handle Congress. Critics said it showed the costs of a hardline approach that they argue produced avoidable tragedies and weakened public trust. Some immigrant advocacy groups said the central problem is the policy itself, not the person leading the agency. Others focused on accountability, arguing that shifting Noem to another role should not end scrutiny of the department’s actions under her leadership.
Noem did not immediately offer a detailed public statement about her departure beyond the role outlined by Trump. In recent appearances, she cast herself as carrying out orders from the president and said DHS was making progress, even as critics pointed to court cases, protests and incidents involving U.S. citizens. Her supporters say she faced intense opposition because she embraced a visible, aggressive posture. Her detractors argue she escalated tensions and treated operational problems as political fights, which they say contributed to confusion and errors on the ground.
The next steps center on timing and confirmation. Trump said Mullin will take over March 31, and the White House is expected to submit his nomination to the Senate. Confirmation hearings would give lawmakers a new chance to press for documents, answers and commitments on rules for enforcement operations, oversight of detention facilities and the department’s spending choices. If Mullin serves in an acting role during the transition, he will need to quickly assemble a leadership team that can manage daily crises while responding to Congress and the courts.
For now, DHS continues its operations under existing policy and leadership as the administration prepares for the handoff. The department’s direction is unlikely to change dramatically given Trump’s stated priorities, but the new secretary will face immediate pressure to reduce controversies that have dominated headlines and to show measurable outcomes in enforcement and disaster response. The first major milestone will come with Mullin’s expected start date at the end of March, when the administration will be pressed to explain what, if anything, changes inside the department.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.