President Donald Trump and the White House are strongly defending Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as Democrats intensify their calls for her removal over the handling of recent immigration enforcement operations and fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
“I think she’s doing a very good job,” Trump told reporters last week. “The border is totally secure. You forget, we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now, we have a border where no one is coming through.”
Administration officials confirmed that Trump personally assured Noem of his full confidence during a phone call ahead of Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. A source close to the secretary said the president commended her leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees agencies including Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Secret Service.
The White House has remained consistent throughout the week, signaling that Noem’s position is secure despite heavy criticism from Democratic leaders following two fatal encounters between federal immigration officers and radical agitators in Minneapolis this month.
Democratic lawmakers — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Tim Kaine — have accused Noem of overseeing an “out-of-control” enforcement campaign and have demanded her immediate firing or impeachment. “She’s got to go — we are dead serious,” Jeffries told reporters Thursday, vowing that if Trump does not act, “impeachment proceedings will commence.”
Noem dismissed the attacks during an appearance on Hannity Thursday evening, framing the criticism as politically motivated. “These radicals are attacking me, but I’m just doing my job,” she said. “I’m following the law, enforcing the laws like President Trump promised that he would do to keep people safe in this country.”
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She added that violent crime and murder rates have “dropped dramatically” under Trump’s leadership, crediting the administration’s immigration crackdown with protecting Americans from repeat offenders. “We’re going to continue to go after these criminals,” she said. “We’re going to remove them before they have the chance to murder more Americans, to create more Angel moms, and to harm our children.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the president’s confidence in Noem earlier this week. “Secretary Noem still has the utmost confidence and trust of the president of the United States, and she’s continuing to oversee the entire Department of Homeland Security and all immigration enforcement across the country,” Leavitt said.
Trump’s public show of support follows the January 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an armed radical agitator with a track record of interfering with ICE operations. Two Border Patrol agents were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation — a standard procedure — while protests have erupted throughout the Twin Cities.
The White House has defended the operation, with officials emphasizing that agents acted in self-defense and that the administration will not back down amid violent demonstrations targeting law enforcement.
“No one should expect the president to fire a DHS secretary for doing her job,” a senior administration official said. “When the likes of Hakeem Jeffries and Tim Kaine are calling for your head, that’s usually a sign you’re doing something right.”
Trump has since deployed Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of ongoing enforcement efforts. Homan, the former acting ICE director, vowed to remain in the state “until the problem’s gone.” The move followed reports that Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino would be returning to Washington as part of a broader rotation of federal agents.
Federal immigration authorities launched their intensified operations in the Twin Cities earlier this month amid a major fraud scandal involving state contracts and nonprofit organizations. The probe has led to dozens of arrests, many involving individuals tied to Minnesota’s Somali community. DHS officials said the crackdown is aimed at removing violent offenders and restoring order as protests have repeatedly turned violent.
