Kristi Noem Out as Homeland Security Secretary

President Donald Trump has nominated U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to replace Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, marking the first major cabinet leadership change of Trump’s current term.

The move shifts Noem out of the role she has held since early 2025 overseeing the federal government’s primary agencies responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, disaster response, and domestic threat protection.

Administration officials said Mullin will take over the department pending Senate confirmation.

Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, led the Department of Homeland Security during a period of intense national focus on immigration enforcement and border policy. During her tenure, the department implemented a number of policies aimed at tightening border controls and increasing coordination with state governments on immigration enforcement.

The White House praised Noem’s work during her time at the department and indicated she will transition into a new diplomatic role focused on regional security cooperation in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump selected Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, as his nominee to lead the agency moving forward. Mullin previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade before winning election to the Senate in 2022. A businessman and member of the Cherokee Nation, Mullin has been a strong supporter of the administration’s border enforcement agenda.

If confirmed, Mullin would take charge of one of the largest departments in the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security oversees multiple major agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Secret Service.

His nomination could also create political ripple effects in Oklahoma, where his departure from the Senate would open a seat that would need to be temporarily filled until a special election is held.

The leadership change comes as immigration and border security remain among the most debated issues in Washington, with Congress continuing to grapple with funding, enforcement policies, and broader immigration reforms.

Mullin’s nomination will now move to the Senate for confirmation hearings, where lawmakers will review his qualifications and question him about his plans for managing border security, disaster response, and other responsibilities handled by the Department of Homeland Security.

By: Politics406 staff