Trump replaces Kristi Noem at DHS, but Democrats say leadership change won't end 'nightmare'

Reacting to the change in Department of Homeland leadership, Congressional Democrats said Friday that replacing Kristi Noem as DHS head is "not enough" to resolve a deepening crisis within the department, indicating that it would not affect the ongoing government shutdown. In an announcement, President Donald Trump said Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will take over as DHS Secretary, and Noem will step into a new role as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida."

"Under Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security acted outside the rule of law. She needed to go – good riddance I say, but Congress must act to hold this out-of-control agency accountable," Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) stated. "But this does not end the nightmares being visited upon our communities. This does not end the way that they are detaining Americans, violating our constitutional rights, slamming people to pavements, murdering people," Brooker said, adding that he will "not vote for a dollar" for these agencies "until this nightmare ends."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) echoed the sentiment, indicating that the administration's personnel change would not unfreeze stalled funding negotiations. "Kristi Noem has been fired. Good riddance. But the problems at DHS go much deeper than any one person. The President must rein in ICE and end the violence," he said in a social media post. In a separate post, he asserted that he does not support Sen. Mullin as Noem's replacement because the "rot in DHS is deep." "It's a question of policy, not personnel. The Senate should not consider any DHS Secretary nominee until DHS and ICE are reined in," he wrote. 

Noem's tenure as head of the DHS was marked by several contentious moments, including the labelling of Rene Good and Alex Pretti as "domestic terrorists" after they were fatally shot by federal agents. Democrats have characterized her leadership as unprecedented administrative overreach and systemic violence. In a video message, Governor J.B. Pritzker described Noem's legacy as "corruption and chaos" and said, "Now that you're gone, don't think you get to just walk away. I guarantee you, you will still be held accountable." 

President Trump, in his Truth Social post, lauded Kristi Noem for having "numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!)." Reacting to the President’s announcement, Noem said she was looking forward to working closely with Secretary Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to “dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.” “The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security,” she wrote on X.