Kristi Noem is to be replaced as homeland security secretary, following criticism of immigration operations that left two Americans dead.Donald Trump put out a social media post announcing she was being replaced by a senator from Oklahoma.
He said Ms Noem would be moving to a new job, special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, in about three weeks.He said the role would be a “new Security Initiative in the Western hemisphere” that will be further detailed on Saturday.She becomes the first cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term.
Ms Noem came under scrutiny after calling the actions of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota an “act of domestic terrorism” after she was shot dead by ICE agents.Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents two weeks later.
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Demonstrators in Minneapolis, Minnesota, protest after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump said on Truth Social: “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026.”The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida.
“I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.'”
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Markwayne Mullin meeting Donald Trump in Philadelphia in March last year. Pic: Reuters
Noem addressed a Department of Homeland Security event moments after Trump’s announcement but didn’t mention her change of role.She instead read prepared remarks reinforcing Trump’s message from the State of the Union last month.At hearings in Congress, she this week faced stinging criticism from fellow Republicans – particularly over a £165m ($220m) ad campaign she appeared in that encouraged people in the US illegally to leave voluntarily.She insisted that Trump was aware of the campaign in advance, but he contradicted her in an interview, saying he did not sign off on it.This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Jattvibe app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
