Trump fires Kristi Noem as homeland secretary, announces replacement

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the White House official charged with overseeing President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations, was fired by the president on March 5 not long after lawmakers grilled her about her department’s massive spending.

At issue was a $220 million Homeland Security ad campaign that featured Noem prominently. The former cabinet secretary said Trump approved of the ads; the president denied it.

But Noem has become a deeply unpopular figure in recent months as people around the country have taken to the streets to protest the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement and the violence seen as a result, namely the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

Trump tapped Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, to succeed her, the president announced on social media.

Noem may be out of DHS but will remain in Trump’s orbit. The president appointed her special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, his initiative for security against narcotics trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.

Gov. Gavin Newsom: 'Trump is in retreat'

California Gov. Gavin Newsom seized on President Donald Trump's firing of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary March 5, minutes after he took the stage at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"Donald Trump is in retreat," Newsom said. "Today is a perfect example — the first firing of a high-profile cabinet member."

Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate who is on a national book tour, also took aim at another administration official.

"The dark heart of the administration is not Kristi Noem, it's Stephen Miller," Newsom said. He referred to 2025, when the Trump administration sent National Guard members to California in response to protests over immigration arrests and raids.

"It had Noem's fingerprints all over it, but it was Stephen Miller's handbook, and he needs to be next," Newsom said.

− Margie Cullen and Jane Murphy, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England

Mullin faces glide path to Senate confirmation

Since Cabinet nominees need just a simple majority to gain Senate confirmation, Mullin faces an easy path to replacing Noem. Republicans hold 53 seats (including his) in the 100-seat chamber.

At least one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, has already pledged to vote for Mullin, and it’s possible others could be deferential to a sitting senator, too. But given the political toxicity of ICE recently, any potential Democratic support would likely be small.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer already said he’d vote against Mullin.

− Zachary Schermele

What’s next for Noem and the Shield of the Americas?

In taking her leave, Noem announced she would continue working for the president as the "Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas."

Noem indicated that the role will involve tackling drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere and that she will continue working with Trump cabinet appointees, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

The White House has not shared further details about the Shield of the Americas operation, but its announcement comes the same day the Pentagon released a security declaration signed by a host of Latin American countries that pledged "to combat narco-terrorism and other shared threats to the Western Hemisphere."

Leaders from many of the countries that signed the document, titled Americas Counter Cartels Conference, will meet with Trump this weekend in Miami, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. 

"The point of this newfound Latin America Summit is to promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region," Leavitt said. "The president will be speaking with the leaders of these countries who have really formed a historic coalition to work together to address criminal narco-terrorist gangs and cartels."

Hegseth separately hinted at an impending shakeup in the hemisphere. 

"Many leaders accepted the status quo to co-exist with narco-terrorism, or for a law enforcement-alone approach that failed to deter and dismantle threats," said the Pentagon chief. "The result under this collective neglect was fatal."

− Michael Loria and Eduardo Cuevas

'Kristi did a great job setting us up,' Pentagon chief says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighed in on the change in Trump’s cabinet, saying Noem "did a great job setting us up for success" while welcoming Mullin to the post.

"Kristi Noem did an excellent job over there, securing our border and keeping us focused on threats," said Hegseth, adding, "I’m sure Markwayne Mullin will do a fantastic job. He’s been a friend of mine for a long time."

The Pentagon chief concluded by telling reporters, "Kristi did a great job setting us up for success" without elaboration.

− Michael Loria

Immigrant advocacy groups welcome Noem’s departure

Immigrant advocacy groups celebrated Kristi Noem’s departure, but worried about what’s next for the department tasked with immigration enforcement.

While welcoming the “end of Noem’s historically awful tenure” at the Department of Homeland Security, the National Immigration Law Center said replacing her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, another hardliner on immigration, only changes the public face of the Trump administration's aggressive deportation and detention priorities. “This is the equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig,” Kica Matos, the law center’s president, said in a statement.

The Los Angeles-based Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights said Noem’s departure was a long-overdue first step. “For immigrant communities across the country, her leadership represented a dangerous escalation of policies that treated families and workers as targets rather than as human beings who contribute to and strengthen this nation,” Angelica Salas, the coalition’s executive director, said in a statement.

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said public polling has shown Americans believe Immigration and Customs Enforcement “has gone too far in its immigration crackdown.” Awawdeh called to abolish ICE and reappropriate DHS funds to ensure agencies are transparent and accountable, and follow the country’s laws.

− Eduardo Cuevas

Sen. Thom Tillis praises Mullin, takes jab at Noem

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, took a parting shot while praising Mullin on the nomination.

“Another big positive: he likes dogs,” he posted on social media along with a photo of Mullin and his six children.

Tillis was one of several prominent lawmakers who called for Noem’s resignation, also threatening to halt bloc nominations of President Donald Trump’s appointees in the Senate until his questions about an immigration surge in Charlotte are answered.

“What we’ve seen is a disaster under your leadership, Ms. Noem,” Tillis said.

− Sarah D. Wire

‘Don’t let the door hit you.’ Dems celebrate Noem’s departure

Noem frequently clashed with Democratic leaders over immigration enforcement efforts, and they were happy to see her ousted.

“Hey Kristi Noem, don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a video posted on social media. “Here’s your legacy: Corruption and chaos, parents and children tear gassed. Moms and nurses, U.S. citizens, getting shot in the face.”

Pritzker clashed with Noem and Trump over ICE operations in Chicago and the administration’s deployment of the National Guard in the city.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that he's glad that Noem has been removed from her post, saying, "good riddance. She was a disaster."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz celebrated Noem’s ouster in a statement on X and said she’d caused a “stunning amount of damage.”

Walz said that while Noem’s ouster “is good,” the Department of Homeland Security still needs “a complete overhaul.”

− Christoper Cann and Bart Jansen

GOP senator says ‘it was time for a change’

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, welcomed Kristi Noem’s reassignment in a statement.

“I appreciate Secretary Noem’s service to our country,” Graham said on X, adding: “However, I think it was time for a change.”

Graham called Sen. Markwayne Mullin an “outstanding choice” to lead DHS and said he hopes Mullin receives the “overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that he deserves.”

− Christoper Cann

Shakeup comes amid partial government shutdown

The transfer comes as the Department of Homeland Security − and the methods used by immigration officials − remain at the center of a partial government shutdown.

Since federal immigration enforcement officers killed Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in two separate incidents in Minneapolis in January, Democrats demanded that the White House and congressional Republicans accede to a list of reforms for DHS in exchange for funding.

The agency, which is also critical to air travel and disaster relief, has been partially closed since mid-February. Most of its employees are considered "essential" and have been working without a paycheck.

− Sarah D. Wire

WH: Trump ‘grateful’ to Noem, seeks to quickly confirm Mullin

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that President Trump is “grateful” to Kristi Noem for her time leading the Department of Homeland Security.

“President Trump is grateful to @KristiNoem for helping usher in the most secure border in American history, and he looks forward to her continuing to serve in her new important role as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” the statement on X said.

Leavitt also said the White House will work with the Senate to confirm Sen. Markwayne Mullin as the next DHS secretary “as soon as possible.”

− Christoper Cann

Mullin: 'It's an honor to be nominated'

Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma told reporters on Capitol Hill after Trump's announcement that "it's an honor to be nominated."

“We’ve still got the nomination process," he added.

Asked about whether he’s considering any reforms to DHS, Mullin said he wants to “get the Department of Homeland Security working for the American people.” Mullin told USA TODAY that he has spoken with the president and said, “we’re excited.”

Mullin will face a confirmation hearing led by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul of Kentucky, with whom he has clashed publicly, even as recently as last month.

− Sarah D. Wire and Zachary Schermele

Who replaces Mullin? 

Once Mullin officially leaves the seat, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt will have 30 days to appoint someone to serve the remainder of Mullin's term, which ends on Jan. 3, 2027.

Under state law, that person would not be allowed to run in any subsequent election for the seat. That will likely set off a race among Republican contenders to win their party's nomination in the June 16 primary election.

The winner of that race will be heavily favored to win the November general election against any Democratic or independent opponents and claim a full six-year term.

− Dale Denwalt, The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network

Noem touts DHS tenure in statement

Less than an hour after President Donald Trump announced she was out as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem thanked the president for her new role.

In a post to social media on March 5, Noem thanked Trump for appointing her as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a new initiative for security against narcotics trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.

“The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security,” she said in her statement.

Noem also touted her tenure as head of DHS, which has been embroiled in controversy and congressional hearings over the past several weeks in part for her handling of ICE operations in Minneapolis.

“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she said. 

− Kathryn Palmer

Noem speaks at event, doesn’t address firing

At a conference in Nashville, Kristi Noem did not directly address her firing in remarks delivered minutes after Trump’s announcement.

Noem used her time to recount the history of the Department of Homeland Security and described the challenges she faced leading the department. She also said she would soon meet with New York state law enforcement officials.

She answered questions from police leaders, but none asked about her ouster. It was unclear if she knew about Trump’s Truth Social post before she took the stage.

− Christoper Cann

Noem faced scrutiny over DHS ad campaign

The ads prominently featured Noem, including in a scene filmed on horseback at Mount Rushmore in the former South Dakota governor's home state.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, asked Noem on March 3 about the contract for ads. Kennedy asked if Trump approved the spending ahead of time. She replied, “Yes.”

Kennedy said the contractor was not competitively bid. One of the subcontractors is married to Noem’s former spokesperson, Kennedy said.

“It’s hard for me to believe, knowing the president as I do, that you said, ‘Mr. President, here are some ads I’ve cut and we’re going to spend $220 million running them,’ that he would have agreed to that,” Kennedy said. “It’s something we have to defend.”

Noem said the commercials told immigrants who do not have legal authority to be in the country that they must leave or they would be detained and deported. She said she had discussed the ad campaign with Trump and he approved the campaign ahead of time.

“We had that conversation, yes, before I was put in this position and sworn in and confirmed, and since then as well,” Noem said. “We went through the legal processes, did it correctly.”

Noem's controversial tenure

Noem has been the face of President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration enforcement efforts and a lightning rod for criticism.

Calls for her removal have been growing since the chaotic events that unfolded in Minneapolis this year when federal agents shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

House Democrats pushed a measure to impeach Noem, and some leading Republicans also began calling for her removal. Noem led Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement, which included tactics such as deploying the National Guard and flooding cities with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, sparking nationwide protests.

Noem is a former House member and South Dakota governor who was viewed as a potential running mate for Trump in 2024 before being tapped to be part of his Cabinet. Her departure from the Department of Homeland Security is one of the biggest staffing shakeups of Trump’s second term, which has had less turnover than his first term.

Noem's ouster surprises senators of both parties

The news seemed to shock senators of both parties. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, said he needed time to consider whether to support Mullin’s confirmation.

“I don’t know,” Murphy told USA TODAY. “I literally heard about it two seconds ago.”

“Give me time to process it,” said Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Asked if he supported Trump firing Noem, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, “It’s not my call.”

Who is Mullin?

Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is a cattle rancher who has served 10 years in the House and three in the Senate. Trump called Mullin, a former undefeated Mixed Martial Arts fighter, a “MAGA warrior.”

“Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security,” Trump said.

Noem's removal comes as the Department of Homeland Security is partially shut down because of a dispute in Congress over Trump’s immigration enforcement, as Democrats have demanded policy changes.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said the problems at the department stem from policy for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is part of the department, rather than personnel.

“The president has fired Kristi Noem. Good riddance,” Schumer said. “The rot is deep. The president has to end the violence and rein in ICE.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said the decision to remove Noem may “well enable” Democrats to support ending the shutdown.

But he said that will still only happen if the White House agrees to significant reforms of the agency, such as a ban on agents wearing masks.

Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Zac Anderson