Noem Stands Firm Amid Protests and Shutdown Fears, Highlights Border Gains

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem remained outwardly composed this week as she toured storm recovery sites and both U.S. borders while under intense scrutiny for ICE operations and amid a partial government funding fight.

Federal law enforcement agents detain a demonstrator during a raid in south Minneapolis Jan. 13, 2026.

Noem’s four-day trip included a visit to Mississippi to review winter-storm recovery, stops at the southern border in Texas and Arizona, a northern border visit in North Dakota, and a barbecue in Arizona she hosted for Border Patrol agents. Much of the trip unfolded while Congress debated DHS funding; lawmakers approved a stopgap measure that funds the department through Feb. 13.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly backed DHS chief Noem in public comments in January.

Speaking in Nogales, Arizona, Noem told Fox News Digital that DHS’s broader national security missions—FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard, cybersecurity, and other programs—cannot be sidelined by a budget fight focused largely on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She noted that ICE accounts for roughly 11% of the department’s budget and urged Congress to pass funding quickly so critical operations continue uninterrupted.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem meets with CBP officials at Eagle Pass, Texas, Feb. 3, 2026.

"Every day [DHS is] finding terrorists and removing them from our country, protecting our cybersecurity systems, our critical infrastructure," Noem said. "Only 11% of the DHS budget is ICE. The rest of it is FEMA, TSA, that runs our security checkpoints at our airports."

The funding debate centered on ICE activity in Minneapolis, where DHS says Operation Metro Surge — launched amid allegations of a fraud scheme involving members of Minnesota’s Somali community — has led to about 4,000 apprehensions since the start of the year. Reporting says clashes during the operation coincided with the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, a development that prompted bipartisan outrage and calls for Noem’s resignation; Noem characterized the deaths as resulting from interference with law enforcement and labeled the deceased as "domestic terrorists," remarks that intensified criticism.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (not pictured) displays a footage of photos showing illegal border crossings a year ago as she meets with CBP officials at Eagle Pass, Texas, Feb. 3, 2026.

At several stops on her itinerary, demonstrators gathered. Protesters with drums and megaphones confronted attendees outside a Tucson hotel where Noem hosted a dinner for Customs and Border Protection officers. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted Jan. 29–Feb. 2 found 58% of respondents said Noem should not remain in her post.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House Oct. 8, 2025.

Noem and administration officials highlighted statistics they say reflect progress in border enforcement, including figures Noem cited that DHS has deported more than 3 million people (which she said includes roughly 700,000 detained and removed) and that about 2.3 million people have "self-deported," aided in part by an incentive program she described as a payment and flight offer. Those claims are presented as the administration’s account of enforcement outcomes.

President Donald Trump publicly defended Noem and named former ICE Director Tom Homan as a border czar to coordinate response efforts; some reports suggested tension between Homan and Noem after Homan was given a leading role in Minneapolis operations, though Noem publicly credited him with helping engage local leaders.

Throughout the trip, Noem framed the situation as the consequence of opposing policies and reiterated her call for sustained funding of DHS’s full mission while defending aggressive enforcement tactics aimed at deterring illegal crossings.