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He offers her a new role as “Special Envoy of The Shield of the Americas”.
President Donald Trump has dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following days of political pressure and criticism over her leadership, AP and Reuters reports.
The abrupt move comes after tense congressional hearings and growing concerns about the administration’s immigration enforcement and crisis response.
Trump announced Thursday that he had removed Noem from the role and plans to nominate Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as her replacement.
Mounting pressure
Noem’s exit follows two days of intense questioning on Capitol Hill, where both Republicans and Democrats challenged her decisions at the Department of Homeland Security.
According to AP, her leadership has faced scrutiny over immigration enforcement operations and how the department spent billions of dollars allocated by Congress.
One issue raised by lawmakers involved a $220 million advertising campaign encouraging migrants living in the United States illegally to leave voluntarily.
Noem told Congress the campaign had been approved by Trump, but the president later told Reuters he had not signed off on it.
Minneapolis fallout
Criticism of Noem intensified after the fatal shootings of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation earlier this year.
In the immediate aftermath, Noem described both individuals as aggressors, a claim widely disputed by videos and eyewitness accounts. She declined to apologise during her congressional testimony.
The department was already under pressure during a prolonged funding standoff in Congress that left parts of Homeland Security shut down for nearly three weeks.
Despite removing her from the cabinet position, Trump praised Noem’s work and said she would take on a new role as “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.
Sources: The Associated Press, Reuters
