Her tenure was marked by controversies ranging from pets and government contracts to defending the killing of American citizens by federal agents.
Trump replaces Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security
President Donald Trump replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she was hounded by lawmakers over a $220 million ad campaign.
Kristi Noem’s career as Homeland Security secretary has been mired in controversy during the year she led President Donald Trump’s agency.
On March 5, President Trump announced that Noem, a former South Dakota governor and congressman, would resign as secretary of the department. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that her new role would be as special envoy to a new security coalition in the Western Hemisphere.
Her tenure since Trump took office in January 2025 has been marked by controversies ranging from pets and government contracts to how quickly she defended the killing of American citizens by immigration enforcement officers.
Still, she was tasked with overseeing one of the Trump administration’s most high-profile initiatives at the time, when she headed the agency that oversees federal immigration enforcement. For example, during the first year of the Trump administration, border crossings plummeted. Meanwhile, DHS is overseeing an increase in deportations, especially for people with no criminal records and other Trump priorities.
Here we introduce five controversies surrounding Nomu, a Republican who was once considered President Trump’s running mate.
He fabricated a meeting with Kim Jong-un and shot his dog to death.
Excerpts from Noem’s 2024 memoir, “No Going Back,” were highlighted when she was floated as a running mate. But they resurfaced in a Senate hearing this week.
In her book, she details how she fatally shot a 14-month-old wire-haired pointer on her family’s farm because it was “untrainable.” She also killed a goat.
At a March 3 hearing, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) accused her of killing the animals.
“These are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment, similar to what happened in Minneapolis,” Tillis said. “We are an exceptional nation, and one of the reasons we are exceptional is that we expect exceptional leadership, and you have demonstrated anything but that.”
They exchanged farewell remarks on March 5, after President Trump announced that he would be fired and replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma). “He loves dogs, which is a big plus,” Tillis posted on X, along with a photo of Marin and their six children.
Additionally, Noem’s memoir included false anecdotes about meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Her spokesperson reportedly said that this section would be corrected.
The murders of Renee Goode and Alex Preti and the rise in deaths in custody
In January, federal agents under DHS killed two Americans in the span of two weeks in Minneapolis during an immigration crackdown. Noem commented on the two shootings before the investigation concluded, criticizing the people who were shot.
On January 7th, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Good in her car. Noem said Good attacked and attempted to run over an ICE officer. Video evidence disputes Noem’s account.
On January 24, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Preti multiple times. Noem said Preti had a concealed carry permit and brandished a firearm. The video shows this did not happen.
Noem accused both Good and Preti of committing “acts of domestic terrorism.”
Asked to apologize for her comments about Ms. Good and Ms. Preti during a Congressional hearing, Ms. Noem did not apologize to the families, but expressed condolences for their loss.
At the same time, Noem’s DHS is under questioning over a record number of deaths in ICE custody in 2015.
DHS ads, corruption allegations
DHS has grown further with federal funding, and the agency has spent millions of dollars to advance mass deportations, a priority of President Trump. ProPublica reported that DHS has a $220 million advertising deal with Strategy Group. The company has ties to Noem, the husband of former DHS press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, and a top aide to Corey Lewandowski, a Trump ally who ran the president’s 2016 campaign. Lewandowski serves as a special public servant for DHS.
Noem reportedly had an internal policy at DHS that required her and her aides to approve agency spending on contracts over $100,000. In Congressional testimony, she said Lewandowski was not involved in approving the contract, which ProPublica reported was contradicted by internal documents.
Kristi Noem faces relationship allegations with Corey Lewandowski
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked about her relationship with Corey Levandowski before the House Judiciary Committee.
Luxury jet plane launches pilot from above blanket
Noem’s DHS has purchased private jets to use for deportation flights, including during the government shutdown.
Just recently, the Department of Homeland Security purchased a $70 million luxury jet, which Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said was like “buying a Rolls-Royce to turn into a subway bus.”
Noem reportedly lost her blanket on one of the government planes during a flight in the spring of 2025. Lewandowski, who was traveling with Noem, entered the cockpit and fired at the pilot from above his blanket, Reuters reported. The pilot was later reinstated because he was one of the few people to fly the plane.
El Salvador prison shooting
At the beginning of the first year of the Trump administration, Noem oversaw the deportation of about 250 Venezuelan immigrant men to a notorious El Salvadoran prison due to gang ties. She boasted that she had placed the men in El Salvador’s terrorist confinement center, which Salvadoran President Nayib Boucle, an ally of President Trump, has used to imprison suspected gang members indefinitely without trial.
In late March, Noem showed up at the prison wearing a $50,000 Rolex watch, demonstrating the administration’s aggressive stance on immigration enforcement.
The men were later released to Venezuela in a prisoner exchange.
In her new role, Noem will be responsible for security issues in the Western Hemisphere. Noem is expected to serve as special envoy to President Trump’s new coalition, working with a list of Latin American leaders on immigration and drug trafficking issues.
This article has been updated to clarify information about Noem’s tenure at the Department of Homeland Security.
