Trump fires Kristi Noem as DHS secretary after Senate criticism, naming Senator Markwayne Mullin as successor pending confirmation

Donald Trump, President of the United States, on Thursday dismissed Kristi Noem as Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency overseeing immigration enforcement and border security, following mounting criticism over the administration’s crackdown on undocumented migrants.

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Trump announced that Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, would replace Noem and assume leadership of the department on March 31, subject to confirmation by the United States Senate, where Republicans hold a majority.

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump praised Noem’s record but confirmed the leadership change at the powerful department.

Noem, 54, will instead serve as the president’s special envoy for a new regional security programme dubbed “The Shield of the Americas.”

“Noem has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results, especially on the Border,” Trump wrote.

He described Mullin as a “MAGA warrior” and said the Oklahoma senator would be a “spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security.”

The shake-up follows a contentious Senate hearing earlier this week in which Noem disclosed that the president had approved a $220 million advertising campaign by the department, a programme in which she appeared prominently. Reports said the testimony angered Trump.

Immigration crackdown under scrutiny

The Department of Homeland Security plays a central role in enforcing Trump’s immigration agenda, which includes plans to deport millions of undocumented migrants.

Noem faced sharp criticism during the Senate hearing from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the administration’s policies.

Dick Durbin, a Democratic senator from Illinois, accused the department of abandoning legal and moral standards during the immigration crackdown.

“Under your leadership, the Homeland Security Department has been devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law,” Durbin said.

Durbin and other Democrats pressed Noem to apologise for the deaths of two Americans shot by federal agents in Minnesota during protests linked to immigration enforcement operations.

Republican lawmakers also voiced concerns. Thom Tillis, a senator from North Carolina, described her tenure as a “disaster” and cited cases in which American citizens were reportedly detained by immigration authorities.

Another Republican senator, John Kennedy of Louisiana, questioned the effectiveness of the $220 million television advertising campaign encouraging undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave the country.

Noem defended the programme as effective, but Kennedy responded that its primary impact appeared to be increasing her public profile.

Funding standoff

The leadership change also comes as the department faces a partial shutdown triggered by a funding standoff in Congress.

Democratic lawmakers have opposed new funding for the department until changes are made to the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency responsible for enforcing deportation policies.

Democrats have demanded restrictions on patrol operations, a ban on immigration agents wearing face masks and a requirement that officers obtain judicial warrants before entering private property.

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The unfolding political dispute underscores the fierce debate surrounding immigration policy in the United States as the administration presses ahead with one of its most controversial policy agendas.