Kristi Noem’s year-long tenure as Homeland Security secretary has been plagued by controversy as she led an aggressive immigration crackdown that has sparked protests and lawsuits.
There have been scandals, legally dubious deportations condemned by human rights groups, taxpayer-funded advertising campaigns and false claims about American citizens.
After she described two U.S. citizens killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis as engaging in “domestic terrorism” — claims that independent analysis and state officials said the footage did not support — bipartisan pressure on her leadership mounted and public support plummeted.
Here’s a look back at some of the key moments from Noem’s controversial tenure as DHS director.
November 12, 2024 – Trump picks Noem for national security
Then, President-elect Donald Trump announced that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem would serve as secretary of homeland security in his second administration. Trump selected Noem largely for her hardline positions on immigration and her loyalty to his agenda, including plans for large-scale deportations and tougher border enforcement. The election was one of many signs that immigration enforcement would be a central focus of the administration’s national security strategy.
In early 2024, Noem went on an ill-fated book tour, widely seen, at least at the time, as an audition to be Trump’s running mate. The memoir is now remembered primarily for his admission that he had shot dead the family’s “untrainable” hunting dog, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket.
January 2025: Senate confirmation
Noem was confirmed by the Senate on January 25 by a vote of 59 to 34, with some bipartisan support. She was sworn in that same day and resigned as governor of South Dakota to take office. Within days, he joined federal immigration enforcement operations, including raids targeting undocumented immigrants in New York.
Early 2025: Immigration crackdown
One of Noem’s first policy moves was to rescind temporary protections for large groups of immigrants. His department moved to end an 18-month extension of temporary protected status for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans, a move that was later blocked by the courts. Noem subsequently revoked legal protections for more than 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, who had entered under humanitarian programs.
April 2025 – deportation controversies
Major controversies arose almost immediately after his tenure. Following the deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García, whom the Trump administration admitted was mistakenly sent to a megaprison in El Salvador, Noem said that if Ábrego García were sent back to the United States, the administration “would immediately deport him again.” Garcia has since been in and out of ICE custody after returning to the United States, as the administration has repeatedly attempted to deport him again, despite court rulings.
July 2025 – ICE presence grows
ICE continues to have a growing presence across the United States, becoming the unofficial model for the Trump administration’s policies and approach to policing. The agency grew in numbers by promising new recruits $50,000 signing bonuses and pledges of patriotism. Noem faced a major scandal when a report was published revealing that she had failed to disclose $80,000 she accepted while serving as governor of South Dakota.
August 2025 – politics and pop culture
The television sitcom South Park surprised viewers with its critical depiction of the Trump administration, lampooning the incompetence of several members of the administration, including Noem. One episode mocked his apparent penchant for killing dogs, racial profiling, and performing cosmetic surgery. Noem responded by accusing the show of sexism. The show’s high ratings were seen as a sign of the public’s increasingly negative sentiment toward the administration’s mass deportation campaign.
September 2025: Inhuman conditions in Ice detention
Pressure continued to mount as several reports emerged detailing the horrific conditions detainees were forced to endure in ICE custody. A Guardian investigation found that US immigration officials had been detaining more and more people in small, secret facilities for days or even weeks at a time, in violation of federal policy. Outrage over the treatment of immigrants grew: by the end of 2025, a total of 32 people had died in ICE custody.
The Trump administration repeatedly attempted to use social media and so-called “Maga influencers” to push its policies and popularize deportation campaigns. In early October, Noem toured the ICE facility in Portland, accompanied by a trio of conservative influencers, one of many examples of right-wing media figures being given special access in exchange for more positive coverage. These attempts to normalize hardline immigration methods among younger audiences were moderately successful, but not enough to negate growing unrest and plummeting approval ratings.
January 2026: Minneapolis shooting crisis
A turning point occurred earlier this year when immigration enforcement operations escalated to unprecedented levels. During separate incidents during a crackdown in Minneapolis, immigration agents shot and killed two American citizens, local residents Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, 37, sparking protests across the country. Both had been protesting ICE raids. Noem defended the officers and accused the two slain Americans of “domestic terrorism,” comments that sparked an immediate backlash from Democrats and some Republicans who questioned her leadership and demanded investigations.
February 2026: Growing investigations and bipartisan pressure
Noem appeared before Congress amid growing scrutiny over law enforcement tactics and department spending. Lawmakers questioned DHS leadership over the Minneapolis killings, agency oversight and alleged obstruction of investigations. Several members of Congress began to publicly call for his resignation or removal.
In mid-February, news broke that Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s top spokeswoman and one of the most visible supporters of the Trump administration’s deportation raids, was leaving.
March 2026: $220 million DHS advertising controversy
Another political scandal erupted over a $220 million DHS ad campaign for border security that prominently featured Noem in promotional material. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the hiring process and whether the campaign amounted to taxpayer-funded self-promotion. The controversy deepened when Trump said he had not approved the campaign, contradicting testimony that suggested he had been briefed.
On March 4, Noem appeared at a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing and was asked about reports of turmoil in the department and reports that she had developed a personal relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager who was her senior adviser. They are both married.
Noem denied the reports, calling them “sensational garbage.”
March 5, 2026: Trump fires Noem
By early March, tensions between the White House and Noem had risen dramatically, and Trump officially announced her dismissal at Truth Social, marking the first major personnel change of Trump’s second term. Trump said Noem “has served us well and has had numerous spectacular results (especially at the border!),” and that she would become special envoy for “the Shield of the Americas,” a security initiative that Trump said he planned to announce over the weekend.
Trump also announced that Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, would replace Noem effective March 31, although Congress would have to vote first to confirm the pick.
