Trump Replaces Noem at Homeland Security and Picks Sen. Mullin

President Trump announced on Thursday that he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, to lead the department. The Associated Press reported that Noem, a former South Dakota governor, will become “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.

Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term. The announcement came two days after she faced questioning on Capitol Hill from both Republicans and Democrats, the AP said. Criticism of her immigration crackdown intensified after two protesters, both U.S. citizens, were shot and killed in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement officers, and critics have said her handling of those events and of the agenda more broadly contributed to her downfall, according to the AP. The department’s use of billions of dollars Congress allocated to it also drew scrutiny, as did the pace of emergency funding at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the administration’s disaster response, with both parties raising concerns.

Mullin must be confirmed by the Senate. Under a federal law on executive branch vacancies, he could serve as acting secretary while his nomination is formally pending, the AP said.

In his post, Trump did not say he was firing Noem. He wrote that she “served us well,” according to Mediaite, and said Mullin would take over effective March 31 and would prioritize border security, stopping migrant crime and ending illegal drug trafficking. Trump described Mullin as having served 10 years in the House and three in the Senate, winning all 77 Oklahoma counties in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and being the only Native American senator, Mediaite reported.

Congressional Democrats had called for Noem to step down or be impeached, and she faced criticism from both parties at House and Senate hearings this week over the Minneapolis shootings, immigration agents’ tactics, delays in FEMA aid and conflict-of-interest allegations, Mediaite said. The outlet added that Mullin had been floated as a replacement and had increased his television appearances. Trump said the Shield of the Americas initiative would be announced on Saturday in Doral, Florida.