Former Homeland Security chief says she will serve as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas following President Trump’s announcement of leadership changes.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released a public statement Thursday after President Donald Trump removed her from the post and announced Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as his nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Earlier in the day, reporting from NBC News indicated that Trump had grown dissatisfied with Noem’s performance during recent congressional hearings, particularly regarding her approval of an immigration-related advertising campaign.
Trump later confirmed the leadership change when he removed Noem as DHS secretary and named Mullin as her replacement. Mullin is expected to assume the role March 31 if confirmed by the Senate.
In announcing the transition, Trump reassigned Noem to a new diplomatic role tied to a regional security initiative.
“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida,” Trump said.
Following the announcement, Noem thanked the president and said she intends to continue working with administration officials in her new position.
“Thank you POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” Noem wrote in a statement posted publicly on X.
She said she plans to coordinate with senior administration officials involved in national security and foreign policy.
“Secretary Rubio and Secretary of War Hegseth are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren,” Noem said.
Noem described the Western Hemisphere as a critical strategic region for the United States and said her experience leading the Department of Homeland Security would inform her new role.
“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.
Noem also highlighted what she described as major accomplishments during her tenure at DHS.
“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again: we delivered the MOST secure border in American history, 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S., we have located 145,000 children, FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate, we ushered in the golden age of travel, saved the American taxpayer $13 billion and revitalized the U.S. Coast Guard,” she said.
Questions surrounding Noem’s removal intensified earlier this week following testimony before Congress concerning a Department of Homeland Security advertising campaign designed to encourage illegal immigrants to leave the United States.
During a Senate hearing, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana questioned Noem about a campaign estimated to cost roughly $200–$220 million.
“I’m asking you… the president approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?” Kennedy asked.
Noem replied, “Yes, sir. We went through the legal processes.”
Kennedy followed up by asking, “Did the president know you were going to do this?”
“Yes,” Noem responded.
According to reporting cited by multiple outlets including Reuters, White House officials later indicated that Trump had not authorized the advertising campaign, creating tension between the administration and the DHS leadership.
The campaign promoted the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy and featured messaging encouraging migrants in the United States illegally to depart voluntarily.
Federal contracting records showed that one firm, Safe America Media, received $143 million through the program, while another company, People Who Think, received $77 million. A subcontractor, Strategy Group, received approximately $226,000.
Neither company immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the contracts.
Despite the controversy surrounding the advertising campaign, supporters of the administration cited enforcement statistics during Noem’s tenure.
Officials reported that illegal crossings at the southern border fell sharply after a series of enforcement measures were implemented. Administration figures also indicated that nearly 3 million illegal immigrants departed the United States during the enforcement push through deportations or voluntary departures.
Supporters of the policies also pointed to reported declines in fentanyl trafficking at the border and other crime statistics they said reflected stronger enforcement efforts.
Noem will now transition to her new diplomatic role as the administration prepares to unveil the Shield of the Americas initiative, while the Senate considers Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
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