US President Donald Trump announced that Kristi Noem will succeed him as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), marking the first cabinet change since his re-election.
Noem, who has overseen President Trump’s controversial immigration crackdown, will instead serve as special envoy for the newly created national security initiative, Shield of the Americas.
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Her firing came after two days of tense congressional hearings at the Capitol, during which Ms. Noem faced a rare united front of bipartisan hostility.
Mr. Trump nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her. This change is scheduled to take effect on March 31st.
Here’s what we know:
Who is Kristi Noem?
Kristi Noem, 54, is a former Republican governor of South Dakota who most recently served as Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration.
In that role, she oversaw some of President Trump’s campaign priorities, including efforts to increase security along the U.S.-Mexico border and accelerate deportations of illegal immigrants.
Her tenure was marked by high-profile immigration enforcement operations that were frequently publicized on social media, and Noem sometimes accompanied federal agents during arrests.
Earlier this year, two American citizens, Alex Preti and Renee Goode, were shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis during this massive immigration crackdown across the country.
Ms. Noem also oversaw the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its disaster response operations.
What did Trump announce?
In a post on his Truth Social account, President Trump wrote that he intended to remove Nomu from his position.
Despite the move, he praised her tenure, saying she had “served us well and achieved many great results (especially at the border!)”.
Trump added that Noem would be reappointed to a newly created role as special envoy for Shield of the Americas, a security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.
President Trump said he would nominate Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, whom he described as a “MAGA warrior,” to replace her as head of the Department of Homeland Security.
The announcement comes in the wake of controversy surrounding a $220 million Border Patrol ad campaign featuring Noem on a horse. After Noem told Congress that Trump had endorsed the campaign, Trump denied any involvement.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” he said in a telephone interview with Reuters.
What led to President Trump’s reappointment of Noem?
President Trump’s decision to reappoint Noem came after two days of congressional hearings at the Capitol, during which the Homeland Security secretary faced questions about her actions from members of both parties.
Reporting from Washington, D.C., Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said Noem had “ruined under questioning” and said a series of controversies were making her continued leadership difficult.
Some of them are:
Minneapolis shooting incident:
Noem faced intense backlash over the deaths of two U.S. citizen protesters, Renee Good and Alex Preti, who were shot and killed by federal agents during an immigration enforcement raid in Minneapolis earlier this year, sparking nationwide protests.
Critics of the operation accused the regime of using excessive force and called for an independent investigation.
Lawmakers also accused Nomu of launching a “smear campaign” in the wake of the killing, labeling the deceased a “domestic terrorist” and barring local investigators from the crime scene.
“Republicans and Democrats questioned her response to what happened in Minnesota, the deaths of two American citizens, which she initially described as domestic terrorists, which turned out to be false,” Fischer reported.
Controversial $220 million ad campaign:
Ms. Noem was furious about a nearly $220 million Border Patrol ad campaign that featured her prominently, including promotional footage of her riding a horse near Mount Rushmore.
The campaign’s contracts drew criticism because they were awarded to companies with political ties to the Republican Party, including subcontractors with ties to people close to Noem. Noem said in a Congressional hearing that President Trump had endorsed the campaign, but the president later told Reuters he “didn’t know anything about it.”
FEMA Mismanagement and Disaster Response:
Both Democrats and Republicans criticized Noem’s response to emergencies such as the deadly Texas floods in July 2025 and Hurricane Helen in 2024.
Critics say her management style delayed some disaster relief funds and reimbursements to the state.
What is the American Shield?
The “Shield of the Americas” is a new U.S. national security initiative established by President Trump that focuses on the Western Hemisphere.
The initiative reflects President Trump’s push to expand U.S. security operations across the Western Hemisphere, including expanded military and intelligence operations, and is based on the Monroe Doctrine of Spheres of Influence, now known as the Donroe Doctrine.
The plan aims to dismantle cartels, combat drug trafficking and counter Chinese influence in Latin America.
Noem said Thursday that the goal of the new summit is to “promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region.” Part of this includes partnering with 12 other countries to “counter criminal narco-terrorist organizations and cartels and counter illegal immigration and mass migration.”
Who is Markwayne Mullin?
Sen. Mullin, 48, is one of the most ardent Trump supporters on Capitol Hill.
Marin, a former business executive and undefeated mixed martial artist with a professional record of 5-0, served in the House of Representatives for 10 years before moving to the Senate in 2023. Known as the “MAGA Warrior,” he has long acted as a key intermediary between the White House and Congressional Republicans.
If confirmed, Mullin, a Cherokee Nation member, would be the first Native American to lead DHS.
He describes himself on his website as a “successful business owner, cow and calf rancher, and proud husband of 28 years to Christy Mullin.”
He has previously supported Homeland Security policies and the administration’s crackdown on immigration.
“Obstructing federal law enforcement is a serious crime. Most Americans follow ICE’s orders without thinking twice,” Marin said on social media after Preti’s death.
Al Jazeera’s Fisher said the administration expects Marin to be a “better administrator” than his predecessor.
“Even though Kristi Noem is a former governor, the White House didn’t think she was running the organization properly,” Fisher said. “They felt they needed someone with experience operating a federal agency, and they believe Mullin is that person.”
President Trump has announced that a formal handover will take place on March 31st, but the handover is not that simple.
Fisher said that because the DHS secretary is a Senate-confirmed position, “[Trump]doesn’t have the authority to just do that.”
“So he has to go through a Senate hearing by a committee chaired by the person who described him as a snake,” Fisher reported.
“Some Democrats want to make sure that Mr. Mullen talks about how to change the way ICE operates. If he doesn’t do that, they may not vote for him,” he added.
The Cherokee Nation issued a statement Thursday calling the nomination “historic” and noting that Mullin is both an Oklahoma state senator and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
