President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he had removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her post and intends to nominate Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement, ending a turbulent, 13-month tenure that drew bipartisan criticism and intense scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
Trump made the announcement on his social platform, saying Noem “has served us well” and that Mullin would take over March 31. The move comes after two days of combative congressional oversight hearings in which Noem faced blistering questioning from members of both parties over the department’s immigration operations, ad contracts and other controversies — and amid heightened outrage over the deaths of two people killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Arizona officials, who have sparred publicly with Noem in recent weeks, were among those whose prior criticisms underscored how politically fraught her tenure had become.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) posted to his X.com account:
It’s good Kristi Noem is finally out at DHS. What happens next is important. We need real changes to what DHS has been doing in communities across the country, including in Arizona. Americans deserve real accountability. https://t.co/PxNOiFbNPe
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 5, 2026
U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) posted to his X.com account:
Swapping out who’s sitting in the chair won’t fix what’s broken at DHS.The problem is the culture being driven by Stephen Miller. Arbitrary quotas, racial profiling, and agents sent into our streets with no accountability. That’s what has to change. https://t.co/PDrA9oMdj4
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) March 5, 2026
Congressional District 7 representative Adelita Grijalva responded with the following:
Noem has also responded on x.com:
Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. @SecRubio and @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and…
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 5, 2026
In a statement provided to KGUN, Governor Katie Hobbs said, "We hope this new leadership at the Department of Homeland Security brings a renewed focus on what matters most to Arizonans: securing the border and disrupting cartel activity."
Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has previously criticized some of the federal immigration actions affecting Arizona communities and launched state efforts to inform residents of their rights when interacting with federal law enforcement, has been part of the chorus of Arizona Democrats demonstrably skeptical of Noem’s approach while she led DHS.
Hobbs added in her statement to KGUN, "The recent death at the ICE facility in Florence highlights issues within the federal immigration system. Our communities deserve transparency and responsible management of these facilities. We also expect better communication coming from this agency. Arizona was devastated by severe monsoon flooding last year, yet FEMA denied critical disaster relief with little explanation. We expect the new leadership at Homeland Security to review that decision and correct it. In addition, Arizona taxpayers have spent more than $700 million on border security since 2021 to fill gaps left by the federal government. Arizona stands ready to work constructively with new leadership to deliver real results for our state."
Sen. Kelly has been an outspoken critic of Noem’s leadership of DHS as the controversy over immigration enforcement unfolded. In January, Kelly publicly called for Noem — and Trump adviser Stephen Miller — to be dismissed in the wake of the Minneapolis shootings, arguing that the department’s actions under Noem had produced unacceptable outcomes and eroded public trust.
Related: WATCH: Mark Kelly: 'Two Americans are dead at the hands of their government'
We'll continue to update this article with AZ lawmaker reactions as they come in today.
“Arizona’s elections are safe and secure,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said earlier this month in a statement responding to Noem’s high-profile visit to Phoenix to press election-integrity proposals. Mayes criticized national administration officials she described as “election deniers” who, she said, have “spent the past six years lying to the American people in a deliberate effort to destroy trust in our election system.”
Noem made a high-profile trip to southern Arizona in early February, standing in Nogales with Customs and Border Protection and ICE officials to announce an accelerated rollout of new border barrier construction and supporting technology — framing the visit as part of a broader push to “secure the border” and crediting agents for a sharper enforcement posture in the region.
Her Arizona appearance drew immediate pushback from some local lawmakers and advocates. KGUN reported Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) sharply condemned Noem’s actions, saying she would not “sit by” as policies she described as authoritarian proceed and calling for accountability — even saying Noem “must be impeached” after the recent deaths tied to ICE operations.
Gallego, who opposed Noem’s Arizona trip and the federal SAVE Act she promoted, attacked the broader message behind the visit: “If the Trump Administration wants to talk election integrity, let’s talk about January 6th,” Gallego said in a press release at the time, adding constitutional and democratic concerns tied to the 2020 aftermath.
Noem’s tenure at DHS had become a flashpoint on multiple fronts: the department’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, allegations about a lucrative ad campaign that prominently featured Noem, questions about spending and staffing decisions, and reporting about her relationship with a senior aide. Her recent congressional testimony — in which she defended department policies and at times clashed with Republican senators — reportedly fed White House frustration and prompted private discussions among GOP leaders about her future.
Related: Democrats introduce articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Noem after ICE shooting
Noem publicly labeled Renee Good and Alex Pretti — two Minneapolis residents who were fatally shot earlier this year by federal immigration-enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge — as “domestic terrorists.” Good has been reported as a 37‑year‑old mother of three and Pretti as an intensive‑care nurse.
Noem’s characterization came in the immediate aftermath of the shootings; she said the victims came to the scenes with weapons and framed their actions as part of violent, chaotic protests that endangered agents. Acting ICE and CBP leaders later testified that they had not described Good or Pretti as “domestic terrorists,” and lawmakers at recent congressional hearings pressed Noem to retract or apologize. She declined to do so, saying in testimony that the incidents were tragedies but standing by her earlier statements — a position that drew sharp criticism from Democrats and some other observers.
Nationally, lawmakers from both parties had increased pressure on Noem in recent weeks. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called her leadership “a disaster” during a Senate oversight hearing, while House and Senate Democrats threatened to withhold full-year DHS funding unless the department enacted reforms on the conduct of immigration agents.
Trump said Noem would move to a role as a “special envoy” for a new Western Hemisphere security initiative, while Mullin — if confirmed by the Senate — would take over at DHS. Under existing vacancy laws, Mullin could serve in an acting capacity once nominated even while the confirmation process proceeds.
With the administration in the midst of a partial DHS funding lapse and lawmakers still feuding over immigration policy and oversight, the personnel change is likely to reverberate through ongoing debates over enforcement tactics, oversight and the agency’s priorities — matters that Arizona’s leaders have already weighed into publicly in recent weeks.
