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President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her post and is seeking to replace her with Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma). The change comes as Noem has led a tumultuous campaign of federal raids on U.S. cities that has seen thousands of people deported and detained, and record high deaths tied to the nation’s immigration enforcement apparatus.
The president announced the change in a post on Truth Social, thanking Noem for her service. Noem is being moved to a position as the “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new initiative led by Trump. Trump is slated to host a “Shield of the Americas” summit in Florida this weekend with leaders of 12 Latin American countries in order to discuss security concerns and supposed gang violence.
Trump said that Mullin will replace Noem “effective March 31, 2026,” though Mullin must first be confirmed by the Senate.
“A MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda,” Trump said of Mullin.
“Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump went on.
In her term, Noem has overseen a massive expansion of the Department of Homeland Security’s presence in the U.S., making the department’s enforcement arms into a fascist police force that has raided numerous cities across the country. Under Noem, deaths tied to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rose to record highs. Six people have already died in ICE custody this year so far, while immigration agents have also killed two people on the street in Minneapolis.
Mullin is a hard right Republican who previously defended ICE’s killing of Renee Nicole Good. Last year, he defended the deportation of U.S.-born babies, saying that babies should be deported if their parents are, even if they have U.S. citizenship.
In recent days, Mullin has been outspoken in support of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran. “When it comes to the [Authorization for Use of Military Force], which is why it was passed for terrorist organizations that was trying to harm us, there’s no question that Iraq — or Iran — clearly fits in that picture,” he said in an interview on CNN on Monday.
Mullin’s support for the war may be significant, as the Trump administration targeted Iranians in the U.S. for deportation and other immigration actions during Israel’s war with Iran last year.
Mullin is perhaps best known for an incident in 2023 when he threatened to fight Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who he called “woke,” during a Senate committee hearing. “I’m not afraid of biting. I will bite,” he said in an interview afterward.
Noem’s ousting, meanwhile, comes amid numerous scandals and waning popularity for the former governor of South Dakota. During her term, she not only oversaw a massive expansion of ICE, but also gutted the Federal Emergency Management Agency; tried to stop congressional oversight of DHS jails; and called Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists after they were killed.
While she was secretary, her department violated the law countless times, violating dozens, if not hundreds, of court orders that would rein in the agency and trampling over the Constitution to allow ICE to carry out its terror campaign.
Noem has also faced many accusations of corruption and waste of government funds. In October, she shot a $200 million ad campaign paid out to a firm with which she holds deep ties. The department also sought to buy two top-of-the-line luxury jets for her and other top DHS leaders to travel in, while ICE has asked for approval to buy a $70 million jet for Noem and other officials’ travel outfitted with a lavish bedroom.
Trump’s announcement came a day after Noem’s antagonistic testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which she refused to apologize to Pretti’s family and doubled down on her characterization of him as a domestic terrorist. She even faced antagonistic questions from Republican senators, and Trump had apparently spoken with GOP lawmakers this week about removing her.
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