Statement from DNC Chair Ken Martin on the Firing of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security Arrow

Donald Trump announced today that he is firing his Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and installing her as his so-called "Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas." Noem's sudden exit is another humiliation for Trump and his historically unpopular administration as approvals for the president and his immigration enforcement regime continue to crater.

Trump and Noem waged a campaign of chaos and terror on American communities. Under Trump and Noem's leadership, federal immigration agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. ICE has wrongly detained American citizens and deported children, including at least one child undergoing cancer treatment.

Under Noem's disgraceful tenure, Trump is nearly 13 points underwater on immigration, the top issue for him in the 2024 election, as 65% of Americans say ICE has gone too far, 63% of voters disapprove of ICE, and 62% of Americans, including 68% of independents, say ICE's actions are making America less safe.

In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:

"Good riddance, Kristi Noem. Her tenure was a disaster for the American people - from waging a campaign of unconstitutional brutality that terrorized our communities, locked up toddlers, and killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota, to using taxpayer dollars as a slush fund to pay for her luxurious lifestyle.

"Donald Trump's administration is in freefall. While Noem has caused irreparable harm to our communities, personnel change won't be enough - Trump and his entire Cabinet are out of control. It's time to stop the Trump administration's chaos, restore Americans' constitutional freedoms, and protect our citizens and communities from their cruelty and violence."

Noem's term was marked by wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars, directing at least $375 million in taxpayer money toward vanity projects, including $172 million for private jets, $2.4 million for gold-detailed ICE vehicles, $120,000 for Mustangs for ICE, and $700,000 for tricked-out ICE trucks. Noem regularly used her position for her personal gain, including by providing over $200 million in taxpayer money to fund an ad campaign, some of which went to a private firm to which Noem has longstanding personal and business ties.

At the direction of Trump, Noem played partisan games with disaster relief that put thousands of lives at risk. Noem - whose department oversees FEMA - "systematically reduced" access to natural disaster prevention programs in an effort to cut spending by creating red tape that slowed down life-saving relief. Noem instituted a requirement that every contract and grant over $100,000 must have her personal sign-off before any funds could be released, resulting in a delay in critical emergency funding for disasters, including the tragic flood in Texas that killed at least 136 people, including over two dozen children. For FEMA, where disaster response costs routinely soar into the billions, rescue crews found themselves waiting over 72 hours after disasters hit for Noem's authorization to access critical assets.

DHS has undergone a period of turmoil as Trump's Border Patrol commander at large, Gregory Bovino, was recently removed from his post in Minnesota, and DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin just resigned from her position with the administration, signaling chaos and disorder within the department.