On Thursday, March 5, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was dismissed from her position. Noem previously served as a U.S. Representative and Governor of South Dakota and led the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Trump announced the same day on his “Truth Social” platform that he would nominate Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to succeed Noem as Homeland Security Secretary, with the appointment effective March 31.
In a statement, Trump said: “Outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem has provided outstanding service and achieved many remarkable accomplishments, especially on border issues. She will assume the role of Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, part of a new Western Hemisphere security initiative that we will announce this Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her work at DHS.”
Trump also praised Mullin’s performance in Congress and noted that he was formerly an undefeated mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
Trump said: “As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is an excellent representative of our distinguished tribal communities. He will work tirelessly to secure our borders, stop illegal entry by migrant criminals, murderers, and other offenders, end the damage caused by illegal drugs, and make America safe again.”
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According to Fox News, Mullin is the first Native American senator in decades; the previous one was Ben Nighthorse Campbell from Colorado.
Noem, 54, will likely be temporarily replaced by Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar until her successor is officially confirmed. Edgar, a U.S. Navy veteran and former mayor of Los Alamitos, California, is currently high in the department’s line of succession.
Policies and achievements in office
After taking office, Noem significantly reversed the relatively lenient border policies of her predecessor under the Biden administration, Alejandro Mayorkas. Under her leadership, DHS seized over 500,000 pounds of illegal drugs in the first year, setting a historic record.
She also achieved significant results in implementing the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies for illegal immigrants. Reports show that in 2025, over 2 million individuals chose “self-deportation,” while roughly 670,000 illegal immigrants were formally deported. Supporters call this the most successful immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history.
Time magazine reported that when reflecting on her tenure, Noem said: “We achieved historic accomplishments at DHS that made America safe again: we established the safest borders in U.S. history, 3 million illegal immigrants left the country, we located 145,000 children, FEMA’s disaster relief efficiency improved 100 percent, we opened a golden era of travel, saved taxpayers $13 billion, and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard.”
Noem’s DHS also publicly countered well-known critics multiple times, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Maryland 2026 midterm candidate David Trone.
Hearing controversy and advertising dispute
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Trump was “very angry” with Noem’s performance at a congressional Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this week, particularly regarding an advertising contract issue. At the hearing, Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana and others questioned her about the contract.
According to National Review, Trump was displeased that Noem implied at the hearing that the president had approved a taxpayer-funded ad contract outsourced to a company linked to his inner circle.
A White House official confirmed to Fox News that Trump was, in fact, unaware of the ad and had not approved the project.
By Gao Yun
