Noem Ousted After Costly Ad Dispute — DHS Shifted Toward Immigration at Expense of Other Missions

Kristi Noem arrived in Nashville Thursday on a government jet, where a motorcade met her at the airport. Fifteen minutes later, SUVs pulled up to the loading dock of the Grand Hyatt Nashville, but the Homeland Security secretary remained inside the plane, visible only through tinted windows.

Police union leaders who had gathered to greet her were told she was on an important call. About 10 minutes later Noem left the aircraft and threaded through a corridor maze to a ballroom where law enforcement dignitaries waited.

"She was taking pictures with us. She was personable and smiling," said Kenneth Corey, former NYPD chief of department. "You'd have no idea she had just been fired by the president while she was in the car."

As attendees took their seats at the Major Cities Conference, country singer Lee Greenwood — known for the Trump-era rally favorite "God Bless the USA" — began a performance. Phones in the room soon lit up with alerts: President Trump had dismissed Noem.

Members of US Customs and Border Protection and other law enforcement officials stand in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on January 17. - Seth Herald/Reuters

Undeterred, Noem took the stage and referenced the State of the Union while outlining the Department of Homeland Security's mission. "It’s to fulfill our duty to protect American citizens, that they should come first under our Constitution and our laws and they should be prioritized, and especially over other people who are from other countries," she said.

Observers said she showed no visible sign of distress. "She stayed focused during the speech, took a number of questions and gave thoughtful answers on how we can all work together," Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told CNN.

Policy Focus and Controversy

Noem was confirmed as DHS secretary on January 25, 2025, pledging to "work every day to keep all Americans safe and secure" and to prioritize securing the southern border. Her tenure was defined by a sharp reallocation of DHS resources toward immigration enforcement inside U.S. cities — a shift that allies praised for reducing illegal crossings but that critics said hollowed out other core missions.

A large crowd marches down a street during during an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis on January 23. - Robero Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

DHS reassigned personnel and funding away from counterterrorism, human trafficking investigations and even some Secret Service activities to concentrate on mostly civil immigration operations. Agency officials touted efforts to target the "worst of the worst," yet multiple studies found only a small share of those arrested had prior convictions for violent crimes. The operations sparked nationwide protests and several high-profile confrontations.

Two January confrontations in Minneapolis resulted in fatal shootings by immigration enforcement agents of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti — both U.S. citizens — which intensified scrutiny of Noem's approach.

Organizational Impact

DHS is a sprawling department that includes more than 20 agencies, such as TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard and ICE, employs over a quarter million people and manages a budget exceeding $100 billion. Critics argue Noem's short tenure weakened core capabilities: she pushed cuts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), oversaw the dismissal of hundreds of FEMA employees, and proposed shrinking the Office of Intelligence and Analysis from roughly 1,000 staffers to about 275. Some proposed cuts were later scaled back, but the emphasis on immigration enforcement was clear.

Kristi Noem testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. - Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Former DHS officials described what they called "witch hunts," including polygraph screenings for staff suspected of speaking to the press. Declining morale and the loss of experienced personnel produced what many described as a "brain drain."

The Advertising Fallout

While operational decisions drew criticism, the immediate political misstep that appears to have sealed Noem's fate was an expensive advertising program she authorized. A $220 million ad buy featuring Noem — wearing a cowboy hat and riding a horse in televised spots — prompted congressional interest about approval, cost and contractor selection. ProPublica reported a lucrative subcontract was awarded to the husband of a former DHS spokesperson.

Noem testified under oath to Congress that President Trump knew about the ad campaign and its cost; the president quickly denied prior knowledge. As a former DHS senior executive told CNN, "You can embarrass the administration. That's not going to get you fired. But you embarrass the president, that will get you fired."

At the Nashville conference, Noem took questions from attendees about reconciling federal priorities with state laws that limit local police cooperation on immigration. Newark police Capt. John Chrystal III asked how the administration would address state policies that bar information-sharing; Noem reiterated her intent to press back on such laws and to engage state leaders.

The exchange ended on a lighter note. After her remarks, Chrystal quipped, "Oh, by the way, are you religious? Because you're the answer to all my prayers." Noem chuckled, "I am, sir." The room responded with laughter and applause.

John Miller is CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst and served as Deputy Assistant Director of National Intelligence in 2009–2010.