Kristi Noem, secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a Feb. 4, 2026, press conference in Arizona.
Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty
Noem quickly became the public face of Trump’s immigration crackdown during his second term, facing fierce backlash as the actions of ICE and CBP garnered renewed attention in 2026 following the shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and other reports of violence toward immigrants and protesters.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Jan. 15, Noem was asked about reports of ICE and border agents asking bystanders to prove their citizenship status, and whether she expected Americans to carry around proof of citizenship in case they were stopped.
“In every situation, we are doing targeted enforcement, » the former South Dakota governor claimed in response. « If we are on a target and doing an operation, there may be individuals surrounding that criminal that we may be asking who they are and why they’re there and having them validate their identity.”
“That’s what we’ve always done in asking people who they are so that we know who’s in those surroundings, » she added.
Noem said that if someone was deemed to be breaking the law by agents, they would be detained “until we’ve run that processing.”Donald Trump Skips Over Kristi Noem During Cabinet Meeting After She’s Sidelined from Minneapolis ICE Operation
US President Donald Trump speaks alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026; US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (R) looks on as President Donald Trump hosts a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026.
Kristi Noem Testifies DHS Hasn’t Deported Any Veterans. Seconds Later, a Kicked-Out War Hero Calls into the Hearing
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building on December 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. The committee convened to hear testimony from top national security officials on potential worldwide threats.
Amid national protests triggered by the DHS presence in Minneapolis — and Noem’s false claims that Pretti « committed an act of domestic terrorism » before he was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24 — the homeland security secretary was sidelined from the operation.
In a Jan. 26 Truth Social post, Trump announced that he was sending Homan to be his new point person on the ground in the embattled city.
« I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight, » Trump, 79, wrote at the time. « He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me. »
On Feb. 12, Homan announced that, at his recommendation, the immigration operation in Minneapolis would come to an end.
