Kristi Noem is gone, so what’s next?

By Izayah Morgan

Opinions Editor

On March 5, President Donald Trump made headlines with the firing of his controversial Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem. This announcement, like many of Trump's decisions, was made quickly, as Noem has faced an overwhelming mountain of criticism about her leadership of the department.

According to The New York Times, Noem was criticized for her and the Department of Homeland Security’s handling of non-immigration and immigration issues. The Times stated that it seemed she was slow to sign off on certain projects, which most deemed critical for national security. 

However, there is reason to believe that her ultimate downfall in the public eye was the comments she made about the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American intensive care nurse who was shot multiple times and subsequently died at the hands of two United States ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Pretti’s death sparked protests across the nation, especially since this tragedy took place quickly after the killing of Renée Good, who was also slain by an ICE agent.

According to The New York Times, hours after the shooting, Noem claimed that Pretti “had been attempting an act of  domestic terrorism and claimed he had brandished a gun.” An initial review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection found these claims to be untrue and only highlighted Noem's lack of integrity.

Trump didn't just fire her because of her controversial actions - she was also bad optics. 

Noem spent $220 million on ad campaigns encouraging immigrants to self-deport, and according to NBC, Trump “wasn’t thrilled,” as she told Congress he approved the expenditures. Not to mention her alleged affair with Corey Lewandowski, who serves as an unconfirmed special government employee. 

And she bought a $70 million jet for her department with taxpayer money, according to NBC.

With her leadership coming under fire during congressional hearings, it was inevitable that it would be time for Noem to step down. With her departure, it feels like many Americans appreciate a long-deserved win. 

However, it’s important to understand she’s not going away - just changing roles.

According to President Trump, she’ll be moving into the role as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas - a role that focuses on security in the Western Hemisphere.

Hopefully, a role that fits better than what came before.

Trump's nominee to replace her is U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who has his own controversial history. He’s been in politics since he was elected to the House in 2012.

According to NPR, after the 2020 election, he voted against certifying election results and magnified the repeatedly debunked claims President Trump made about election fraud. 

However, he did help police barricade doors during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

During the government shutdown in October, which was the longest in history, Mullin was among the minority who were trying to negotiate a path to reopen the government. He told NPR last year that “we don’t always agree, but we can be friends. That’s the benefit right now because we trust each other and have candid conversations."

Undoubtedly, he is a strong negotiator between party lines and can be bipartisan when necessary. Which again, according to NPR, has been confirmed by several of his colleagues.

Trump has picked Mullin, but he still must be confirmed by the Senate because thankfully - for now - we are still a democracy. 

Mullin told reporters that he is going to earn everyone’s vote. He confirmed he is a Republican and conservative, but his job and that of the Department of Homeland Security is to keep everybody safe.

I hope he does his job better than his predecessor.

To my peers, colleagues, and everyone on the Framingham State campus, keep educating yourself on your rights as an American and as a human being. The population of the larger Framingham community is more diverse than ever, and our campus has now become a majority-minority campus.

Our community is strong, diverse, and here to “Live to the Truth.”

We are not illegal. We are Americans.