Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has lost her special envoy designation after its expiration in September but will remain involved in President Donald Trump’s Western Hemisphere security initiative under Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is no longer serving as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, the State Department confirmed Thursday, Oct. 15, marking another change in her administration responsibilities seven months after Trump removed her from his Cabinet.
Noem’s diplomatic designation expired in September, although she remains employed by the administration as a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Her responsibilities will continue to involve the Shield of the Americas, an initiative established earlier this year to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Latin American and Caribbean governments.
“Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role,” a State Department official told CBS News in its October 15 report. “She is now a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.”
The department did not provide a reason for allowing her envoy designation to expire or explain whether another official would assume the position. The announcement establishes that Noem will continue participating in the administration’s regional diplomatic efforts, although without the special envoy title she received following her departure from the Department of Homeland Security.
Her designation reportedly expired shortly before the United Nations General Assembly convened in New York last month. Despite the expiration, Noem continued attending meetings with foreign officials connected to the administration’s security and economic cooperation program.
On Sept. 22, she met with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, whose government publicly identified her as the Shield of the Americas special envoy. She also participated in a gathering of leaders associated with the initiative hosted by Trump during the General Assembly.
“I want to thank Kristi Noem for doing a really terrific job,” Trump said during the gathering, publicly acknowledging her work despite the reported expiration of her designation.
The Shield of the Americas was established by the Trump administration in March to coordinate regional efforts involving drug trafficking, organized crime, economic cooperation and other security concerns. The initiative brings together the United States and several governments throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, with a particular emphasis on combating criminal organizations operating across national borders.
Noem received the special envoy assignment in March after Trump announced that then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., would replace her as homeland security secretary. The president announced the leadership change March 5, with Mullin scheduled to assume the Cabinet position later that month.
The decision followed growing criticism of Noem’s management of DHS, including questions about a major taxpayer-funded advertising campaign promoting the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
The advertising initiative, valued at approximately $220 million in subsequent reporting, featured Noem prominently and drew scrutiny over its contracting arrangements and limited competitive bidding. Lawmakers questioned the expenditure during congressional hearings, while reports indicated that Trump had become dissatisfied with the controversy surrounding the campaign.
During the hearings, Noem defended the advertising program and indicated that Trump had authorized it. The president subsequently disputed that account, telling Reuters he had not approved the campaign.
The disagreement added to concerns surrounding her leadership, although Trump publicly credited Noem with achieving results on border enforcement when announcing her departure from DHS.
Rather than removing her entirely from the administration, Trump assigned her to the newly established Shield of the Americas initiative. The transition coincided with a diplomatic tour of five Latin American and Caribbean countries, part of which occurred while she was completing her tenure at Homeland Security.
Her adviser Corey Lewandowski, whose influence within DHS had also drawn scrutiny, appeared in photographs during portions of the regional tour. The State Department subsequently clarified that Lewandowski did not hold an official position within the agency.
Noem’s publicly documented activities as special envoy included diplomatic meetings with President Noboa in Quito on March 25, discussions with Ecuadorian and Colombian representatives in Washington during September and participation in regional meetings surrounding the United Nations General Assembly.
Those engagements reflected the administration’s effort to develop cooperation with Western Hemisphere governments on security challenges extending beyond the United States’ southern border. The initiative also includes economic matters and cooperation against drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Her reassignment to Landau’s office leaves several administrative questions unanswered, including the specific authority she will exercise in her advisory capacity and whether the administration intends to appoint a new special envoy.
The State Department has not announced a successor or indicated that Noem’s revised position represents a withdrawal from the Shield of the Americas initiative. Its statement instead confirms that she will remain involved in the same portfolio through a different administrative role.
The change represents Noem’s second significant personnel transition within the Trump administration since March. After losing her Cabinet position amid controversy over DHS management and advertising expenditures, she retained a diplomatic assignment focused on regional security. With that envoy designation now expired, her duties will continue under the supervision of the deputy secretary of state rather than through the previously announced special envoy appointment.
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