President Donald Trump's decision to remove Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared abrupt — but came after months of escalating controversies surrounding her leadership of DHS.
Noem was widely criticized by Democrats as well as Republicans who spoke behind the scenes about her disastrous management of the department, most notably immigration enforcement.
Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns about enforcement tactics, disaster response delays, and allegations that Noem misled Congress during sworn testimony.
Early on, she raised the ire of even MAGA supporters who were shocked by her highly criticized $220 million taxpayer-funded TV advertising campaign — a campaign critics said promoted Noem's personal brand more than Trump's policies.
Several lawmakers questioned why DHS spent $220 million in taxpayer funds on ads in which Noem appeared so prominently.
"It looked less like an immigration policy message and more like a political branding campaign," one congressional critic said during oversight hearings.
Noem faced accusations of providing misleading testimony during a congressional hearing.
Lawmakers pressed her on whether DHS had compiled a database tracking anti-ICE protesters across the country. Under oath, Noem denied that the department maintained such a list.
However, video later surfaced showing a federal officer suggesting that such a database existed. Civil-liberties groups seized on the footage, filing lawsuits alleging potential First Amendment violations if DHS had in fact tracked protesters.
Members of Congress from both parties questioned whether Noem had been fully truthful in her testimony, a charge that further eroded confidence in her leadership.
Noem also faced intense scrutiny following deadly confrontations in Minneapolis involving federal immigration officers.
Two protesters were killed during an operation connected to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
After the incident, Noem described the victims as "armed agitators."
But eyewitnesses and several local officials disputed that characterization, saying the protesters were not visibly armed.
Civil rights advocates demanded investigations into whether excessive force had been used and whether DHS leadership had created an environment that encouraged aggressive enforcement tactics.
The incident sparked protests in multiple cities and prompted congressional calls for greater oversight of ICE operations.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Noem announced a sweeping enforcement initiative known as "Operation Salvo."
The program targeted gang members and undocumented immigrants across several major cities, but critics said the timing and messaging politicized immigration enforcement.
Immigration groups also condemned Noem's support for ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 350,000 Venezuelan migrants living in the United States.
Advocates called the decision one of the largest potential removals of legal protections for migrants in modern U.S. history.
Beyond immigration policy, DHS leadership under Noem came under fire for disaster-response delays.
A policy requiring the secretary's personal approval for DHS expenses exceeding $100,000 reportedly slowed more than 1,000 FEMA contracts and disaster-recovery grants.
Critics said the approval bottleneck delayed assistance following major disasters, including severe flooding in Texas in 2025.
Emergency management officials warned that the bureaucratic slowdown hindered recovery efforts in affected communities.
Another controversy emerged after a DHS watchdog report warned that a new airport screening policy allowing travelers to keep their shoes on during security checks could create vulnerabilities.
According to the report, existing scanners may not reliably detect threats concealed in footwear.
The policy raised concerns among aviation security experts who argued it could weaken protections implemented after earlier terrorist threats involving shoe explosives.
Inspectors general and congressional investigators also accused DHS leadership of obstructing oversight efforts and creating internal dysfunction.
Several lawmakers said the department under Noem had become increasingly difficult to monitor, citing delays in responding to information requests and disputes over internal investigations.
Those conflicts intensified political pressure on the administration to reconsider her leadership.
Even before joining the Trump administration, Noem had faced a series of high-profile controversies during her time as governor of South Dakota.
Noem's public image was also shaped by personal controversies that frequently resurfaced in national media.
In her 2024 memoir, she described shooting and killing a 14-month-old dog that she said was aggressive and untrainable — a story that triggered widespread backlash online.
She has also repeatedly denied long-running rumors of an alleged relationship with Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, dismissing the claims as "tabloid garbage."
Lewandowski, though not a government employee, served as Noem's de facto chief of staff, involved in all major DHS decision-making, according to several administration sources.
Critics have additionally accused her of exaggerating or misrepresenting events in speeches and in her book, though Noem has rejected those claims.
Taken together, the controversies surrounding Noem span policy decisions, management disputes, and personal issues that increasingly overshadowed her role at DHS.
With congressional investigations continuing and internal tensions mounting, the White House, facing midterm congressional elections this year, concluded a leadership change was necessary.
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