Trump Finally Says “No” to Noem After Months of Violence and Scandal

The ICE Accountability Project responds to reports that President Trump will remove DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and replace her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin:

“After months of bipartisan rebukes, congressional scrutiny, and growing dissatisfaction from the president himself, Trump finally said “no” to Noem.

“Let’s be clear: this is a demotion dressed up as a transition — and the damage remains.

“On Noem’s watch, federal immigration operations turned deadly: six people killed and at least 12 injured by gunfire. Dozens more have been held at gunpoint in chaotic encounters that raise basic questions of oversight and control. Hundreds — if not thousands — have been harmed by abusive tactics carried out in their own communities: tear gas and “less-lethal” weapons fired into crowds, people beaten on camera, families pulled into raids, and children forced to watch violence unfold in their neighborhoods.

“While Noem was haphazardly directing agents to inflict harm on the American people, she was also directing taxpayer dollars toward herself and her allies. DHS under her leadership has been linked to politically connected, self-promotional spending and contracting that reeks of self-dealing — millions in government money that demands investigation and accountability.

“Now the administration is handing a 260,000-employee department to a former MMA fighter turned career politician with no track record running a federal agency — and no background leading homeland security or immigration enforcement operations. Sen. Markwayne Mullin is known more for hardline rhetoric and confrontation than for disciplined management, oversight, or respect for civil liberties — precisely the opposite of what this moment requires.

“A leadership shuffle won’t restore trust. Accountability will—real oversight, real transparency, and real charges where the evidence supports them.”