NASHVILLE—“You go into these positions understanding that your shelf life can be limited and you&#8217;re also always walking on eggs. We all work by the grace of somebody.” 
That was the response from Errol, a law enforcement officer from New York, minutes after listening to outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem address law enforcement from around the country shortly after she was reassigned by President Donald Trump.
At 1:41 p.m., Trump announced on Truth Social that he was moving Noem from head of the Department of Homeland Security to a special envoy for a new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere. He said Noem would be replaced by Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin. 
Roughly 25 minutes later, Noem walked onto the stage in a conference room of the Grand Hyatt Hotel off Broadway to talk to law enforcement gathered for the Major Cities Conference organized by the Sergeants Benevolent Association. 
During her speech to law enforcement gathered for the Major Cities Conference, Noem spoke for roughly 35 minutes about the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, efforts to work with local law enforcement, and support for the families of law enforcement officers. She did not discuss her new role or take questions about her replacement at DHS. 
&#8220;Thank you for all that you do to keep people safe and to hold your oath, to be out in our communities, protecting people from public safety threats, but also being an example to our next generation of Americans,&#8221; Noem said.
Noem touted the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to crack down on crime in cities like Memphis and its partnership with local law enforcement agencies on immigration enforcement throughout her speech.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Noem just left. No questions about Trump reassigning her from being DHS secretary <a href="https://t.co/tDEDp7fZlt">pic.twitter.com/tDEDp7fZlt</a>
— Leif Le Mahieu (@leif_lemahieu) <a href="https://twitter.com/leif_lemahieu/status/2029643369920774339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Noem took a few questions after her speech from several attendees in front of the crowd of attendees and a few who were lined up by the staff. None of those who asked questions mentioned her replacement at DHS.
In the minutes leading up to the speech, attendees started buzzing as the news broke. One man walked by the section where the press was delegated to in the back and excitedly asked if reporters had seen Trump’s post. 
After the speech, The Daily Wire spoke with multiple attendees from coast to coast. They all praised the Trump administration’s strong support for law enforcement and said they appreciated Noem’s speech. 
Joel, a police officer from Milwaukee, said he thought the speech was “very good” and said he thought Noem did a “great job” as head of DHS. 
“He’s [Trump] done this with other people. I don’t necessarily think that it means that she didn’t do a good job. I just think Trump likes to shake things up,” he said. “Maybe with everything that’s going on, he just wants someone to get a different voice. I saw that he’s going to move her to another position, so it’s not like he’s firing her like people want to put out there and say, because they want to make her look bad.” 
He added that he had a “lot of respect” for Noem and that she still gave the speech despite the news breaking minutes before. 
Stephen, from Central California, said he saw the news break and was wondering if Noem would show up for the speech. 
“I thought she was doing a good job. You get politics at that highest level, which is kind of the nature of it,” adding that it was “pretty rare” for a cabinet secretary to make it the entire presidency. 
Errol from New York said he thought Noem’s speech was “excellent” and said it was nice to hear her speak. 
Noem’s tenure as head of DHS comes to an end after a heated Senate hearing, in which Noem blamed Trump for approving questionable contracts worth over $200 million for deportation ads, which raised <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/docs-show-dhs-specifically-steered-200m-ad-contracts-raising-questions-about-noems-testimony?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Docs+Show+DHS+Specifically+Steered+%24200M+Ad+Contracts%2C+Raising+Questions+About+Noem%E2%80%99s+Testimony">concerns</a> about potential conflicts of interest.

MixCollage-05-Mar-2026-03-35-PM-3998

Minutes After Trump Replaced Her, Noem Highlights Key Point About Her Work

Department of Homeland Security

Kristi Noem

Law Enforcement

Nashville

Tennessee

Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma told reporters on Thursday that he called his wife and his dad after President Donald Trump asked him to take over at the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump announced on Truth Social that Mullin would take over for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem beginning on March 31, pending Mullin&#8217;s Senate confirmation. The Oklahoma senator told reporters on Capitol Hill that he received the call from Trump just minutes before Trump released his statement.
Mullin described the opportunity as exciting and humbling, adding, &#8220;I had to call my dad because, I mean, it happened quick, so I had to call my wife and call my dad both. It&#8217;s just really humbling when you stop and think about it. A little kid from Westville, Oklahoma, gets to serve in the president&#8217;s Cabinet. That&#8217;s pretty neat.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s major Cabinet shakeup comes after Noem has faced criticism over the Homeland Security Department&#8217;s response to the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Noem was also grilled by lawmakers in a Senate hearing earlier this week and said that Trump approved <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/docs-show-dhs-specifically-steered-200m-ad-contracts-raising-questions-about-noems-testimony?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Docs+Show+DHS+Specifically+Steered+%24200M+Ad+Contracts%2C+Raising+Questions+About+Noem%E2%80%99s+Testimony">questionable contracts</a> for advertisements starring the DHS secretary worth over $200 million. The president said on Thursday that Noem will be reassigned to help lead a new security initiative that is set to be announced on Saturday.
In his announcement, Trump said that Noem had served the administration &#8220;well and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!).&#8221; The president added, &#8220;I thank Kristi for her service at &#8216;Homeland.'&#8221;
Mullin, a close friend of Noem&#8217;s, told reporters that he hadn&#8217;t yet spoken to the ousted DHS secretary, but would soon.
&#8220;Our families are very close, and this happened very quick, so we&#8217;re going to go have a conversation with her in just a second,&#8221; he said.
Trump called Mullin a &#8220;warrior&#8221; and said the Oklahoman &#8220;will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.&#8221;
Mullin has served in the Senate since 2023 and was a member of the House for 10 years before that. He currently serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Appropriations Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and the Indian Affairs Committee. Mullin is also a former wrestler and professional mixed martial arts fighter who posted a 5-0 career record in MMA.

Markwayne Mullin

A ‘Humbled’ Markwayne Mullin Reveals Who He Called First After He Was Tapped For DHS Secretary

Donald Trump

Executive

Politics

President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Thursday after she found herself at the center of multiple scandals.
&#8220;I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,&#8221; Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Thursday
&#8220;The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at &#8216;Homeland,'&#8221; he added.
Noem thanked Trump in a post on X, saying that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth &#8220;are incredible leaders&#8221; and that she looks &#8220;forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.&#8221;
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Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> 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…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2029647010002055467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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It comes after a heated Senate hearing, in which Noem blamed Trump for approving questionable contracts worth over $200 million for deportation ads, which raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Trump himself told Reuters that he had no knowledge of the expensive contracts.
Noem testified that the contracts “went out to a competitive bid and career officials at the department chose who would do those advertising commercials.”
The contracts were awarded using “other than full and open competition,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/docs-show-dhs-specifically-steered-200m-ad-contracts-raising-questions-about-noems-testimony?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Docs+Show+DHS+Specifically+Steered+%24200M+Ad+Contracts%2C+Raising+Questions+About+Noem%E2%80%99s+Testimony">according to records obtained by The Daily Wire</a>.
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), on behalf of the Office of DHS Public Affairs office intends to limit competition to three contractors,&#8221; a justification for the decision said.
A competition waiver stated that the department used internet research and “industry publications” to identify Safe America Media LLC as the primary company capable of taking on the ad campaign. Safe America Media was only incorporated days before.
The Strategy Group said Tuesday it “has never had a contract with DHS,” adding that “We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services.”
“Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements, and 6 produced radio advertisements,” the company said.
“If you’re going to try to question our integrity, bring actual evidence – we did,” the statement concluded.
Trump announced that Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace Noem.
&#8220;Serving 10 years in the United States House of Representatives, and 3 in the Senate, Markwayne has done a tremendous job representing the wonderful People of Oklahoma, where I won all 77 out of 77 Counties — in 2016, 2020, and 2024! A MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter, Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda,&#8221; Trump said in his Truth Social post.
&#8220;As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities. Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Mullin called the announcement &#8220;humbling,&#8221; adding that &#8220;it happened quick.&#8221;
He said he learned of Trump&#8217;s decision &#8220;right before&#8221; the Truth Social post.

READ: Trump’s Pink Slip Post Replacing Kristi Noem As DHS Chief

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) only allowed four hand-picked companies to bid on a $200 million ad campaign, including a brand new company that later subcontracted the work to the spouse of a top department official, a document reviewed by The Daily Wire shows.
The records raise questions about the testimony by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the Senate on Tuesday, in which she told senators that contracts for a television ad campaign starring herself &#8220;went out to a competitive bid and career officials at the department chose who would do those advertising commercials.”
Procurement records show that the anti-illegal immigration ad work was awarded using &#8220;other than full and open competition.&#8221; A <a href="https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/73477226ef6b4bd093263512124126e9/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">justification</a> for that decision says, &#8220;The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), on behalf of the Office of DHS Public Affairs office intends to limit competition to three contractors.&#8221;
The competition waiver suggested the department used internet research and &#8220;industry publications&#8221; to identify Safe America Media LLC as one of only four companies capable of quickly doing a successful $200 million ad campaign, even though Safe America Media was only incorporated days earlier. A Google search brings up little web presence or industry publications about the firm.
&#8220;DHS reviewed industry publications, analyzed recent DHS initiatives, and evaluated vendors specializing in hyper-targeted media and advertising services. Targeted sources included government websites, industry articles, vendor platforms, and subject matter expertise. Given the immediate action to significantly reduce illegal immigration and border crossings, DHS identified four companies that specialize in domestic and international advertising campaign development, media buying, and media production. These companies are positioned, based on available resources and capabilities, to respond to this immediate need,&#8221; the justification said.
Three of those four companies &#8220;expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.&#8221; The first was Safe America Media, which ultimately got the contract, and which later subcontracted a portion of the work to Strategy Group. That company is run by Ben Yoho, the husband of Noem&#8217;s first Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin.
After Noem was grilled on Capitol Hill about the contracts, Strategy Group <a href="https://x.com/StrategyGroupCo/status/2028931636314710113">posted</a> a response on X, confirming they were subcontracted through Safe America and were paid more than $200,000 for five film shoots and 51 advertisements.
Safe America Media LLC was registered by Mike McElwain, who has worked in the conservative ad industry through the firm DMM Media, though that firm also has little online presence.
Safe America Media LLC was incorporated in Delaware on February 6, 2025. The contract was awarded one week later, on February 13. That leaves just seven days for &#8220;government websites&#8221; and &#8220;industry publications&#8221; to have been written about the firm, to have led DHS to conclude that it was one of the only companies that could do the work, to approach the firm, and for it to write back with its interest.
People Who Think LLC, the second company suggested for the contract by DHS, is based in Louisiana and is linked to Innovative Advertising LLC. Its website is just an empty <a href="https://peoplewhothink.com/lander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landing page</a>. As of 2022, it had a federal tax lien against it, and as of 2020, it owed money to the Small Business Administration, according to a database of corporation records. The Daily Wire called for comment, but its number had been disconnected.
Its phone number is also shared by Innovative Politics, which <a href="https://innovativepolitics.com/clients/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lists</a> as a client the Trump 2016 campaign and the Louisiana Attorney General campaign of Jeff Landry. Corey Lewandowski, a top Noem adviser, previously <a href="https://lailluminator.com/2023/09/20/jeff-landry-campaign-hires-ex-trump-adviser-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked for</a> Landry&#8217;s campaign.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1053841" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dhs-contract.jpg" alt="" width="1772" height="736" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dhs-contract.jpg 1772w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dhs-contract-300x125.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dhs-contract-1024x425.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dhs-contract-768x319.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dhs-contract-1536x638.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1772px) 100vw, 1772px" /></div>
The third company that was allowed to bid on the contract is redacted in the document, but The Daily Wire has learned that it is Knox Strategies, the firm of Erica Knight, a onetime spokeswoman for now-FBI Director Kash Patel. Knight is the only employee listed on the firm&#8217;s <a href="https://www.knoxstrats.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, which does not list ad campaigns as one of its services. Knight told The Daily Wire she received no money from DHS, and has done no work for the department.
Both Safe America Media LLC and People Who Think LLC were <a href="https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_IDV_70RDA225D00000004_7001">awarded</a> <a href="https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_IDV_70RDA225D00000003_7001">lucrative</a> open-ended &#8220;indefinite delivery&#8221; contracts, giving them the ability to keep getting additional work without new solicitations, up to $200 million, through February 2027.
In November 2025, that was modified to raise the ceiling to $240 million. Safe America Media LLC was paid $62 million for work beginning in February 2025, $15 million for work beginning in August 2025, and $65 million for work taking place from August 2025 to February 21, 2026. McLaughlin left the administration in February 2026.
People Who Think was <a href="https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_IDV_70RDA225D00000003_7001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paid</a> $77 million, according to contract records, with the most recent tranche of $25 million covering from September 2025 to March 25, 2026.
The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14664625/Kristi-Noem-Corey-Lewandowski-DC-living-arrangement-affair.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that Noem and Lewandowski are having an affair, saying that they had apartments across the street from each other and that it observed Lewandowski emerging from her apartment. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) asked Noem during a hearing Wednesday if she had sexual relations with Lewandowski. She did not directly answer the question.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepKamlagerDove?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepKamlagerDove</a>: &#8220;Secretary Noem, at any time during your tenure…have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?&#8221;
Noem: &#8220;That is garbage and it is offensive that you have brought that up.&#8221;
Kamlager-Dove: &#8220;It is about your judgment and decision-making.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/H7pQywH3g7">pic.twitter.com/H7pQywH3g7</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2029292010633331156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Lewandowski has volunteered as a Special Government Employee, a classification that allows people to work in government for 130 days a year without adhering to the financial conflict-of-interest rules that apply to traditional government employees. The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/chaos-kristi-noem-homeland-security-f095ac95" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a> said Lewandowski wanted to serve as Noem&#8217;s chief of staff, but that Trump &#8220;rejected the idea due to reports of a romantic relationship between the two.&#8221; DHS&#8217;s leadership webpage currently <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/leadership">lists</a> no chief of staff.
President Trump is considering replacing Noem for dishonesty in telling Congress that he personally greenlit spending hundreds of millions on ads starring herself, National Review <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/exclusive-trump-privately-furious-with-noem-over-senate-testimony-considering-mullin-as-replacement/">reported</a> Thursday. The procurement document, in conjunction with her answers in her testimony, could make that problem worse for Noem.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/ryanobles/status/2029582283145986526?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">told reporters Thursday</a> that he spoke to Trump about Noem&#8217;s testimony, and that &#8220;his recollection and her recollection are different.&#8221;
Noem told Congress that no political appointees were involved in the ad campaign procurement process. Four people signed the document limiting competition, but their names are redacted.
Yet Noem has also said she personally approves all large expenditures, and told the Senate, “I have a policy in place that I review contracts &#8230; My deputy chiefs have the ability to review anything under five million; above that, I evaluate.”
McLaughlin&#8217;s replacement as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Lauren Bis, reiterated that the government is not in control of who a contractor subcontracts with, and said the ads were money well-spent. &#8220;This hyper-targeted ad campaign ran in eight countries and reached over 46 million people. The results show the world heard our message that America’s borders are CLOSED,” she wrote.
The action to direct hundreds of millions of dollars was taken just days after the Trump administration took office, in February 2025. &#8220;Government would be seriously injured unless the executive agency is permitted to limit the number of sources from which it solicits bids or proposals,&#8221; the justification said. &#8220;The immediate action supported by this authority is in response to a national emergency declaration.&#8221;
On Tuesday, Sen. John Kennedy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/noem-pressed-as-republican-senators-demand-answers-in-heated-senate-hearing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grilled</a> Noem about the contracts, saying the ads warning illegal immigrants to leave the country — some of which ran on Fox News, and which starred Noem personally — were a costly exercise in personal brand-building.
&#8220;They were effective in your name recognition … to me it puts the president in a terribly awkward spot,&#8221; he said. “The head of that [firm] is married to your former spokesperson&#8230; A fifth to a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money when we’re scratching for every penny.”
The majority of money in ad buys passes through to TV stations that run the ads. Subcontracts are not reported in public records, but Strategy Group — which previously worked for Noem&#8217;s gubernatorial campaign in South Dakota — said this week that &#8220;Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements, and 6 produced radio advertisements.” Its CEO, Ben Yoho, declined to comment.
This piece was updated with comment from Erika Knight.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and senior adviser Corey Lewandowski

Docs Show DHS Specifically Steered $200M Ad Contracts, Raising Questions About Noem’s Testimony

Illegal Immigation

John Kennedy

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is under fire for ad campaigns that have drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.
The criticisms began with a $200 million ad campaign in which Noem urges illegal immigrants in the United States to self-deport. Lawmakers have raised questions about the price and efficacy of the campaign, as well as the fact that the ads were produced by the husband of recently-departed DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
But the Department of Homeland Security tells The Daily Wire that the ads in question are part of a broader campaign, which also includes ads airing overseas warning illegal aliens not to attempt to cross the border.
“We now have the most secure border in American history in large part because the DHS international ad campaign warning illegal aliens to stay out was a MASSIVE success. This hyper-targeted ad campaign ran in eight countries and reached over 46 million people,” DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said.
“The results show the world heard our message that America’s borders are CLOSED. Daily encounters at the border are down 95%. Under the Biden administration the average daily apprehensions at the southern border were more 5,100. Now under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the average daily apprehensions at the southern border are about 250,” she added.
The Strategy Group, a company that had helped Noem with her 2022 gubernatorial run in South Dakota, ran the ad campaign. The company is currently run by the husband of the secretary’s recently-departed spokesperson, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ProPublica.
In a statement Tuesday, The Strategy Group said it “has never had a contract with DHS. We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services. Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements, and 6 produced radio advertisements.&#8221;
“If you’re going to try to question our integrity, bring actual evidence – we did,” the statement concluded.
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The Strategy Group has never had a contract with DHS.
We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services. Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements and 6 produced radio advertisements.
If you&#8217;re going to try…
— The Strategy Group Co. (@StrategyGroupCo) <a href="https://twitter.com/StrategyGroupCo/status/2028931636314710113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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During a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD) laid into Noem over the domestic ads, saying “You&#8217;re treating the billions of dollars our colleague showered on your department like a personal slush fund, you budget in an astonishing $220 million dollars for media consulting contracts so you can star in self promoting photo shoots in lavish ad campaigns.&#8221;
Bis also responded to Raskin&#8217;s comments, saying that the Maryland Democrat &#8220;and his fellow sanctuary politicians are mad because our ad campaign SECURED the border.”
Noem pushed back in the same hearing when Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) claimed DHS had awarded a &#8220;no-bid&#8221; contract to produce the ads, saying that &#8220;other companies competed for this, because there [were] two different vendors that were chosen.&#8221;
Republican Senator John Kennedy (LA) also questioned Noem about the ads, saying it was &#8220;hard for me to believe&#8221; that President Donald Trump would be ok with the ad campaign. Kennedy, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, also suggested that DHS had not held a proper bidding process before awarding the contract.
DHS is currently facing a funding lapse as Democrats in Congress remain at odds with the White House over federal immigration enforcement tactics. However, the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill Act&#8221; signed last year has kept ICE largely funded, as TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard are bearing the brunt of the shutdown.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Holds News Conference

Homeland Security Defends Ad Campaigns Amid Congressional Scrutiny

Border

Congress

homeland security

Immigration

Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell tried to upend Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s testimony with a deportation sob story, but left out the detail that the illegal immigrant had a criminal history.
Swalwell shared the story of Miguel Lopez, 47, who was deported to his home country of Mexico in June, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. Lopez received a deportation order in 2008, which a judge later blocked, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/deported-to-mexico-miguel-lopez-livermore-bay-area-family-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
In 2016, the Department of Homeland Security again tried to pursue a deportation order that Lopez has fought ever since, the outlet reported.
&#8220;He does not have a job, he has not been able to provide, and he said his Spanish isn&#8217;t even that great because he hasn&#8217;t been there for 30 years, and it&#8217;s hard for him to communicate. Do you see the pain of families like Miguel Lopez, someone who did not commit a violent crime, but has been separated from his family and is not providing, is not working, do you see that pain?&#8221; Swalwell asked Noem.
Noem then asked if Lopez had a &#8220;criminal record.&#8221;
Swalwell paused before responding: &#8220;In 1995, he pled to a lesser nonviolent charge. But do you see the pain &#8230;&#8221;
Miguel was arrested in 1998 for DUI and was convicted of a lesser charge, according to CBS News.
Additionally, on his first attempt to cross the border illegally in 1996, Lopez lied to border agents by claiming to be an American citizen before he was ultimately removed to Mexico, CBS News reported. He then tried again and made it into the country on his second attempt.
Lopez, who is married to a U.S. citizen and has two children who are also U.S. citizens, was nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an immigration hearing in May, according to CBS News.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepSwalwell</a> beclowns himself by telling a sob story of a deported illegal alien who he admits has a criminal record.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> informs him that he had the chance to remain with his family by self-deporting, and returning home with $2,600 per eligible family member. <a href="https://t.co/jtYH6X2Luw">pic.twitter.com/jtYH6X2Luw</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2029241779535409649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I do see the pain, and I wish people would do things correctly. If they&#8217;re not in legal status in this country, they can return home, we will pay for them to return home. I hope he got the $2,600 he could&#8217;ve gotten,&#8221; Noem said in response to Swalwell&#8217;s question.
&#8220;Do you think that makes up for not being with his family?&#8221; the California Democrat asked.
Noem said the self-deportation incentives help &#8220;because we have agreements with these countries, where they are helping to facilitate housing and training.&#8221;
&#8220;It was a nonviolent crime, secretary,&#8221; Swalwell said.
Noem went on to add: &#8220;But then he gets a chance to come back the right way. Now that he&#8217;s waited until he&#8217;s been detained and deported, he will never get the chance to come back to the United States. And so I wish that he would&#8217;ve made the right decision and decided to go home to help his family and him to be together. They have choices that they can make to be together, and we&#8217;re hopeful that they will continue to do that.&#8221;

Former US Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

Swalwell Shares Illegal Immigrant Sob Story, Leaves Out Critical Detail

Swalwell’s Sob Story About Deported Illegal Immigrant Gets Reality Check Over One Key Detail

Deportations

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced heated questions from Republican senators while testifying on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
Noem&#8217;s testimony was the first time she appeared for questioning after two earlier shootings in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents that resulted in the deaths of two anti-ICE activists, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy was the first Republican to press Noem, grilling her about the ads she&#8217;s running to encourage illegal immigrants to self-deport and the contracts behind them.
&#8220;I believe you have a policy, Madam Secretary, that you have to approve all contracts at your department over $100 million,&#8221; Kennedy said.
Noem denied the claim, saying, &#8220;I have a policy in place that I review contracts,&#8221; adding, &#8220;My deputy chiefs have the ability to review anything under five million, above that I evaluate &#8230;&#8221;
The secretary also claimed that the policy was &#8220;extremely effective&#8221; in saving taxpayer dollars.
Kennedy, however, continued to push, asking how she squares &#8220;that concern for waste &#8230; with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently.&#8221;
Noem responded that &#8220;the president tasked&#8221; her &#8220;with getting the message out to the country and other countries where we were seeing the invasion come from with putting commercials out that told them if they were in this country illegally that they needed to leave or we would detain them and remove them and they would not get the chance to come back to America the right way.&#8221;
&#8220;That has been extremely effective,&#8221; she added.
Kennedy then asked if she &#8220;bid out&#8221; the contracts for the companies that produced the ads, alluding to a potential conflict of interest.
A company known as The Strategy Group ran the ad campaign. The company had helped with Noem&#8217;s 2022 gubernatorial campaign in South Dakota and is run by the husband of the secretary&#8217;s recently-departed spokesperson, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ProPublica.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Strategy Group has never had a contract with DHS.
We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services. Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements and 6 produced radio advertisements.
If you&#8217;re going to try…
— The Strategy Group Co. (@StrategyGroupCo) <a href="https://twitter.com/StrategyGroupCo/status/2028931636314710113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In a statement Tuesday, The Strategy Group said it &#8220;has never had a contract with DHS,&#8221; adding that &#8220;We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services.&#8221;
&#8220;Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements, and 6 produced radio advertisements,&#8221; the company said.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re going to try to question our integrity, bring actual evidence &#8211; we did,&#8221; the statement concluded.
The Strategy Group’s ad work is the first known example of money flowing from Noem’s agency to businesses controlled by her allies and friends.
&#8220;Yes, they did, they went out to a competitive bid and career officials at the department chose who would do those advertising commercials,&#8221; Noem said.
&#8220;And the people that you ended up picking were people who had formerly done your political work in South Dakota, is that right?&#8221; Kennedy followed.
Noem replied: &#8220;No, that&#8217;s not correct, sir.&#8221;
To which Kennedy asserted, &#8220;I think it is.&#8221;
Noem insisted it wasn&#8217;t the case, and career employees had chosen the firms.
Kennedy then asked if Trump himself approved the $220 million ads &#8220;ahead of time.&#8221;
Noem eventually said he did, adding, &#8220;And one thing senator I think would be helpful to know is how effective that communication has been &#8230;&#8221;
Kennedy then gave a scathing response, saying: &#8220;Well they were effective in your name recognition &#8230; to me it puts the president in a terribly awkward spot and I&#8217;m not saying you&#8217;re not telling the truth, it&#8217;s just hard for me to believe &#8230; that he would&#8217;ve agreed to that &#8230; it&#8217;s something that we have to defend, I&#8217;m on the appropriations committee.&#8221;
&#8220;My research shows that you did not bid them out. In fact, one of the people you picked &#8230; was a company formed eleven days before you picked them and that the strategy group got most of the money,&#8221; Kennedy continued. &#8220;The head of that is married to your former spokesperson,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;It troubles me. A fifth to a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money when we&#8217;re scratching for every penny, and we&#8217;re fighting over [unintelligible] packages. I just can&#8217;t agree with Madam Secretary.&#8221;
Still, Noem insisted she didn&#8217;t have any say in the contracts.
Kennedy then pivoted to the fatal shootings in Minneapolis, asking about Noem&#8217;s assertion that the deceased were committing &#8220;acts of domestic terrorism.&#8221;
&#8220;It appeared to be,&#8221; she said.
Noem faced heat for getting ahead of any investigations by making the statement.
That led Noem to blame &#8220;Mr. Stephen Miller at the White House&#8221; for making her jump the gun, Kennedy said.
Noem, however, denied that and said Kennedy received that information from &#8220;a news article of anonymous sources&#8221; who &#8220;say a lot of things.&#8221;
But Kennedy continued to press the issue, saying, &#8220;Well, here&#8217;s what you said on the record, I&#8217;m gonna read you your words, &#8216;Everything I&#8217;ve done, I&#8217;ve done at the direction of the president and Stephen.'&#8221;
Noem asked Kennedy for the source of that statement.
&#8220;You said that on January 27 of 2026, did I read your words accurately?&#8221; the senator asked.
&#8220;I enjoy working with the president and with Stephen Miller, and that day we were working to get as much information to the American people as possible &#8230; that is what we&#8217;ll continue to do,&#8221; Noem responded.
Kennedy asked Noem if she thought &#8220;it was fair to blame&#8221; Miller.
Noem, however, continued to deny making the statement.
&#8220;Are you denying that you said that?&#8221; he asked.
&#8220;Sir, I&#8217;m not going to speak to a situation that is relayed on anonymous sources that no one has heard me say that,&#8221; she said.
Still, Kennedy said &#8220;it was you&#8221; and that the news article was &#8220;quoting&#8221; Noem &#8220;on the record saying it&#8217;s Stephen&#8217;s fault.&#8221;
Later in the hearing, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis used his time to give Noem what he called a &#8220;performance evaluation&#8221; while renewing his previous calls for her resignation.
Tillis opened his questioning by railing against Noem for the arrest quotas that were thrust upon federal immigration agents.
&#8220;We just want numbers, we want 1,000 a day, 6,000 a day, 9,000 a day because numbers matter, right? No, they don&#8217;t matter. Quality matters, not quantity. Quality. And what we&#8217;ve seen is a disaster under your leadership, Ms. Noem.&#8221;
Tillis then took issue with her handling of the Minneapolis shootings, saying she should admit to the mistakes made by her officers.
&#8220;I believe the president recognized that you weren&#8217;t getting it done in Minneapolis, and you&#8217;re putting us further away from pointing to this. We&#8217;re beginning to give the American people to think that deporting people is wrong, it&#8217;s the exact opposite. The way you&#8217;re going about deporting them is wrong. The fact that you can&#8217;t admit to a mistake, which looks like, under investigation, is going to prove that Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti probably should not have been shot in the face and in the back,&#8221; Tillis said.
&#8220;Law enforcement needs to learn from that,&#8221; the North Carolina Republican said. &#8220;You don&#8217;t protect them by not looking after the facts. Not only should the FBI be investigating it, but every single law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction should be invited to it, so our law enforcement officers don&#8217;t have this fog cast upon them. One of the reasons that ICE officers are having threats and damn the people that threaten ICE officers because so many of them are doing a good job is because you&#8217;ve cast a pall on them by acting like we should investigate things differently.&#8221;
&#8220;Law enforcement, we&#8217;ve gotta have their back, we&#8217;ve got to make it clear when they make a mistake, then they get corrected for it, but you don&#8217;t walk away from it, and you&#8217;ve done it too many times,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TILLIS slams NOEM for Minneapolis:
&#8220;The fact that you can’t admit to a mistake which looks 
like under investigation, it’s going to prove that Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti probably should not have been shot in the face and in the back.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/UPRwb4wBxp">pic.twitter.com/UPRwb4wBxp</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2028880895785017415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Tillis said he also recently read Noem&#8217;s earlier book, where she revealed she shot her 14-month-old dog. Noem earlier defended the action, saying it was due to the dog&#8217;s aggression and that it was untrainable.
He slammed them as &#8220;bad decisions made in the heat of the moment, not unlike what happened up in Minneapolis.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TILLIS brings up NOEM&#8217;s book, saying her choices to shoot a dog and later a goat &#8220;are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment, not unlike what happened up in Minneapolis.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/JKO4jjvpJU">pic.twitter.com/JKO4jjvpJU</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2028881834432508145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Tillis also threatened Noem over the department&#8217;s failure to respond to his month-old inquiry about federal immigration raids in Charlotte.
&#8220;If I don&#8217;t get an answer to these questions &#8230; as of today, I&#8217;ll be informing leadership that I&#8217;m putting a hold on any unblocked nominations until I get a response. And in two weeks, if I don&#8217;t get a response, I&#8217;m gonna deny quorum and markup in as many committees as I can until I get a response,&#8221; he said.

Untitled design – 2026-03-03T121301.634

Noem Pressed As Republican Senators Demand Answers In Heated Senate Hearing

Noem Faces Grilling From Some Republicans During Heated Senate Hearing

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Thom Tillis

The Trump administration is proposing new regulations that would make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to receive work permits.
Under the Biden administration, as millions of illegal immigrants poured across the southern border, they were afforded the opportunity to receive work permits rapidly before even receiving immigration status. The new proposed rule would make it more difficult for illegal border crossers whose asylum claims have no standing to obtain work permits.
“For too long, a fraudulent asylum claim has been an easy path to working in the United States, overwhelming our immigration system with meritless applications,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said.
“We are proposing an overhaul of the asylum system to enforce the rules and reduce the backlog we inherited from the prior administration. Aliens are not entitled to work while we process their asylum applications. The Trump administration is strengthening the vetting of asylum applicants and restoring integrity to the asylum and work authorization processes,&#8221; the spokesperson added.
The plan would include a pause on the issuance of work permits for asylum seekers until they&#8217;re able to process applications within 180 days, according to the Friday notice.
It could take between 14 and 173 years to reach that benchmark, according to Reuters.
Once the rule is imposed, new illegal border crossers will be ineligible for work permits, according to the plan. Illegal immigrants who notify federal immigration authorities within 48 hours of crossing the border for fear of returning to their home country based on &#8220;persecution or torture&#8221; will be exempt from the rule.
&#8220;USCIS [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] expects this rule to support another downward trend in the long term, but USCIS also expects that, upon implementation of this rule, new EAD [Employment Authorization Document] applications for pending asylum applicants would be paused for an extended period, possibly many years,&#8221; the notice read.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services currently has more than 1.4 million pending asylum claims on its plate, the agency said.
Work permits for asylum applicants are not considered &#8220;an entitlement,&#8221; according to the Department of Homeland Security, which &#8220;believes that this rule is key to disincentivizing aliens from using asylum primarily as a path to seek employment authorization in the United States and to ensuring more timely processing of asylum applications.&#8221;
The Trump administration will accept public comment for 60 days before attempting to move forward with the plan.
Some illegal immigrants who previously received work permits used them to obtain commercial driver&#8217;s licenses. While behind the wheel of heavy trucks, some of them caused fatal accidents.
Chinese <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-tour-bus-driver-with-new-york-license-accused-of-causing-fatal-wreck">illegal immigrant</a> Yisong Huang, 54, is accused of killing a 31-year-old truck driver and injuring several others in Tennessee on Dec. 9 while he was distracted by a video on his phone as he drove a tour bus.
Huang crossed the border illegally in 2023 and was swiftly released into the country. He was later granted a work permit and Social Security card.
On Wednesday, an Indian illegal immigrant, Singh Sukhdeep, behind the wheel of a semi-truck allegedly caused an accident that killed 64-year-old Terry Schultz in Hendricks County, Indiana.
Singh crossed the border illegally in 2018 and was released into the country because he was a minor at the time, federal law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire.
The illegal immigrant had a valid work permit at the time of the crash. The Indian national also had an Indiana commercial driver’s license, <a href="https://noticias.foxnews.com/us/illegal-immigrant-truck-driver-accused-killing-indiana-man-after-running-red-light" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News.

Surge Of Migrants Overwhelms Border Crossings

Trump Seeks Tougher Work Permit Rules For Illegals With Asylum Claims

Asylum

Fraud

Illegal Immigration

U.S.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin will soon leave the Trump administration, a source familiar with her plans told The Daily Wire on Tuesday.
McLaughlin had planned to leave the department in December, but according to POLITICO, stayed on board in the wake of the two fatal shootings in Minneapolis last month.
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/17/dhs-spokesperson-tricia-mclaughlin-to-leave-trump-administration-00783378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a> first reported the news of McLaughlin&#8217;s departure, saying that she intends to inform colleagues on Tuesday. She will be leaving the department next week.
McLaughlin was a top communications aide on Vivek Ramaswamy&#8217;s 2024 presidential campaign and on Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine&#8217;s, according to POLITICO. She also served in the first Trump administration, working for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and at the Department of State, where she was tasked with arms control issues.
Lauren Bis, who currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary for media relations at DHS, will step into McLaughlin&#8217;s role as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, according to a source.
News of McLaughlin&#8217;s exit comes just days after the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/chaos-kristi-noem-homeland-security-f095ac95?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdoqYAY21iva280uFyu3A60ncSOX1BQJSGo1epU2ckT5CJ-582aSSTr_-JX3nc%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69948e43&amp;gaa_sig=GQBU8pYBpMhkx6bfWgg5bZbZhXRqZAdcSDV3OPWHNZfIMHBELgMXCt2baAvO42MN94XVLDgGlRe32SPwje2zfA%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a culture of &#8220;constant chaos&#8221; enduring at DHS under Secretary Kristi Noem, &#8220;who has attempted to burnish her personal stardom at every turn.&#8221; The report also highlighted a purported incident in which a Coast Guard pilot was fired by longtime Trump aide Corey Lewandowski for misplacing the secretary&#8217;s blanket.
It also comes amid a government shutdown largely targeting DHS, as Congressional Democrats attempt to force the Trump administration to meet a laundry list of demands to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
McLaughlin <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-shutdown-drags-4th-day-senate-democrats-block-funding-over-ice-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> on Fox News Sunday to discuss the funding freeze, saying ICE won&#8217;t stop operations during the shutdown because it is a critical federal law enforcement agency.
&#8220;Our immigration enforcement efforts will not be hampered by this in any way,&#8221; McLaughlin said.
The lapse in funding, however, will significantly impact other DHS subagencies, such as TSA, she said.
&#8220;The Democrat politicians here, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, they are holding the American people&#8217;s national security hostage just in the name of scoring cheap political points, it&#8217;s really nonsensical,&#8221; she said.
When <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/17/tricia-mclaughlin-dhs-ice-homeland-security-leads-the-nations-immigration-conversation/87185578007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> by the Cincinnati Enquirer recently if she intended to run for office, McLaughlin said she &#8220;wouldn&#8217;t rule anything out.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if that&#8217;s going to be a year from now or that&#8217;ll be five years from now,&#8221; McLaughlin said. &#8220;I love Cincinnati. It&#8217;s my home and I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s any place like it.&#8221;
Several top officials at DHS have recently left their posts. That includes former deputy ICE director Madison Sheehan, who resigned last month and subsequently launched a bid for Congress in Ohio.
ICE&#8217;s former spokeswoman, Emily Covington, also recently moved to the Department of Justice.

Tricia McLaughlin

Top DHS Spokeswoman To Leave Trump Administration

Trump Administration

President Donald Trump is barely into his second year of his second term, and Democrats and the legacy media are still pulling out all the stops to cast doubt on the people he has chosen to serve as Cabinet members across his administration.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
There was no shortage of breaking news on Sunday — from coverage of the Winter Olympics to the latest on the suspected kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie — but that didn&#8217;t stop the Sunday political talk shows from focusing on a few key members of the president Trump&#8217;s Cabinet. Several high profile politicians took to the airwaves to express their concern in the ability of certain Cabinet members to carry out their responsibilities.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Martha Raddatz spoke with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) about a combative exchange he&#8217;d had with Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier in the week, and asked whether he still had &#8220;confidence&#8221; in her ability to serve in that particular role.
&#8220;I don’t think Pam Bondi has confidence in Pam Bondi,&#8221; Massie said. &#8220;She wasn&#8217;t confident to engage in anything but name-calling in the hearing, so no, I don&#8217;t have confidence in her. She doesn&#8217;t have any sort of accountability there at the DOJ.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When asked by ABC News’ Martha Raddatz whether he has confidence in Pam Bondi as attorney general, Rep. Massie responded: “I don’t think Pam Bondi has confidence in Pam Bondi.” <a href="https://t.co/v6q311NGOu">https://t.co/v6q311NGOu</a> <a href="https://t.co/vqhcQ9kV3r">pic.twitter.com/vqhcQ9kV3r</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2023055290904543673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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At Raddatz&#8217;s suggestion, Massie went on to criticize Bondi for failing to address the victims of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, some of whom were present in the Capitol Hill hearing — and he argued that it was &#8220;cold&#8221; on her part and that she may have been afraid to do so.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Thomas Massie reacts to the image of Attorney General Pam Bondi not looking at the Epstein victims behind her during a hearing: “I think she was afraid to.” <a href="https://t.co/eiC9PK4xdH">https://t.co/eiC9PK4xdH</a> <a href="https://t.co/FgRK4lyPiS">pic.twitter.com/FgRK4lyPiS</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2023052573532447151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan pressed Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) to weigh in on discrepancies between previous admissions made by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and information that has come out of the recently-released Epstein-related documents.
Garcia said that he and some others in Congress would like to speak with Lutnick — who has conceded that he had &#8220;limited interactions&#8221; with Epstein — but that he&#8217;s gotten no response from Republicans on how and when that might come about.
&#8220;Not only did [Lutnick] visit the island, he had tons of communication with Jeffrey Epstein after it was already known that Jeffrey Epstein was essentially convicted for preying on children. So, it is shameful that he is actually in our government. He should not be the commerce secretary. He should come talk to the Oversight Committee,&#8221; Garcia said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) says the House Oversight Committee has asked Republican Chairman James Comer (R-KY) to “bring in [Commerce Secretary] Lutnick” for questioning on his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but “have had no response.”
“Not only did… <a href="https://t.co/PSkJpmwOpN">pic.twitter.com/PSkJpmwOpN</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2023094193409646947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @FaceTheNation/X.com
CNN anchor Jake Tapper raised the question regarding Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, asking several guests about recent comments she made on making sure &#8220;the right people&#8221; were voting in American elections.
Noem herself explained that she was talking about the role played by the Department of Homeland Security in ensuring that elections were secure — primarily by preventing illegal aliens from remaining in the United States and voting in American elections — and accused media personalities of &#8220;manufacturing&#8221; outrage over something that should have been straightforward.
&#8220;It must be exhausting to regularly manufacture outrage even over the most commonsense statement,&#8221; she said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to Noem&#8217;s statement, saying, &#8220;That&#8217;s a lot of bull.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;That&#8217;s a lot of bull.&#8221;
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reacts to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s comments about making sure &#8220;we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/6bjFePUPBr">pic.twitter.com/6bjFePUPBr</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2023039537056788898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @CNNSOTU/X.com
Tapper pressed Border Czar Tom Homan to answer for Noem as well, but he wasn&#8217;t having it. Instead, he told Tapper that he&#8217;d have to ask Noem directly if he wanted to know what she&#8217;d meant.
&#8220;That would be a question for the secretary&#8230; That would be something she&#8217;d have to answer,&#8221; Homan said, later adding, &#8220;Do me and Secretary Noem agree on everything? No &#8230; It&#8217;s one team, one fight. I&#8217;m not going to divide this administration.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TAPPER: &#8220;What does [Noem] mean when she says &#8216;electing the right leaders&#8217;? That&#8217;s not really immigration enforcement or DHS responsibility.&#8221;
HOMAN: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know. That would be a question for the secretary&#8230; That would be something she&#8217;d have to answer.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Btz1dpSf0i">pic.twitter.com/Btz1dpSf0i</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2023068352369803597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @CNNSOTU/X.com
Tapper also raised the same question with Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY), who called Noem&#8217;s comments &#8220;un-American.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gov. Beshear says DHS Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s comments about &#8220;electing the right leaders&#8221; are &#8220;wild and they are un-American.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/EOW55pqBAv">pic.twitter.com/EOW55pqBAv</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2023070275126853884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @CNNSOTU/X.com

Spin Cycle: In Shocking Twist, Dems And Media Still Don’t Like Trump’s Cabinet

Spin Cycle: In Shocking Twist, Dems And Media Still Don't Like Trump's Cabinet

ABC News

CBS News

Epstein Files

Jeffrey Epstein

Media

Pam Bondi

A Nicaraguan national illegally in the United States, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for allegedly assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration, The Daily Wire has first learned.
Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, 33, came to the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte bridge in Texas on Dec. 2, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire.
During his arrest on Dec. 17 by ICE in a “targeted vehicle stop,” he allegedly “forcefully resisted, including backing his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle with an officer still inside, fleeing his vehicle, elbowing an officer in the face, attempting to unholster an officer’s service weapon, biting an officer’s arm, and striking an officer in the forehead with a swinging handcuff,” according to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/nicaragua-national-who-unlawfully-attempted-purchase-firearm-indicted-assault-ice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice (DOJ)</a> and DHS.
The operation was triggered by Davila-Perez’s effort to illegally obtain a firearm from a federal firearms licensee by pretending to be an American citizen. The purchase was ultimately rejected due to his illegal status, according to the DOJ, which announced his indictment on Wednesday.
Officers walked away from the incident with “contusions, abrasions, and a bite mark.” If convicted, Davila-Perez could face up to a $250,000 fine and 20 years behind bars.
<div id="attachment_1039685" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1039685" class="size-medium wp-image-1039685" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Image-300x270.png" alt="Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez" width="300" height="270" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Image-300x270.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Image.png 420w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Mugshot of Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, first obtained by The Daily Wire. (Department of Homeland Security)</div>
“Davila-Perez not only chose to break our nation’s immigration laws, but he also lied in an attempt to illegally  purchase a gun and then brutally assaulted law enforcement. These are the dangerous situations our officers are facing every day in the field,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Thursday.
“Thanks to rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and encouragement of illegal aliens to evade arrest, our officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she continued.
The indictment comes as ICE continues enforcement operations throughout the United States, as Congress will attempt negotiations on enforcement tactics following recent tensions in Minnesota between federal officers and anti-ICE protesters.
DHS funding is set to run out on Feb. 13, as Democrats have released a long list of demands fundamentally changing the way immigration enforcement is currently conducted. However, much of the key funding for ICE’s goals was provided through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last year.
The government dealt with a brief shutdown that ended Tuesday, as the House had to go back and pass amended appropriations bills after the White House and Senate Democrats agreed to split DHS funding from the rest of the federal government’s funding.
The push for the funding split came after the Alex Pretti shooting in Minneapolis, which resulted in numerous other changes made in how the Trump administration approached the end of Operation Metro Surge in the region, leading to the arrests of thousands of people in the country illegally. White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced on Wednesday that 700 agents are headed out as part of a “drawdown” effort.

Illegal Alien Indicted In Major ICE Assault Case Released Into Country Under Biden Admin

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegal immigrant accused of fraud who was just one week away from graduating the New Orleans Police Department academy, <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2018762909602721977?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News.
Larry Temah, 46, who hails from Cameroon, was hired by the New Orleans Police Department in June, the agency&#8217;s superintendent, Anne Kirkpatrick, said following his arrest last month.
The Department of Homeland Security slammed the department for not only hiring Temah, but also for arming him.
“This illegal alien from Cameroon, Larry Temah, is not only breaking the law with every step he takes in this country illegally, but the New Orleans Police Department hired him and issued him a firearm &#8211; what kind of law enforcement department gives criminal illegal aliens guns and badges?&#8221; the agency said in a statement to Fox News.
&#8220;It’s a FELONY for illegal aliens to even possess a firearm. Sanctuary cities like New Orleans ignore ICE detainers and are protecting illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens,&#8221; the agency said.
Temah entered the United States in 2015 using a visitor&#8217;s visa, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News. After marrying an American citizen in 2016, he was granted conditional residency.
The federal government denied his application for permanent status in 2022, citing fraud. Temah failed to show for three separate hearings in immigration court, resulting in a judge issuing a deportation order.
Temah, however, didn&#8217;t comply with that order to leave the country, forcing ICE to hunt him down.
Kirkpatrick said last month that the police department had no information to suggest Temah was in the country illegally during his hiring process.
&#8220;There was nothing in the [personnel] packet that would have given us reason to believe that this person did not have legal status,&#8221; she said. &#8220;There is some question that may have developed later.&#8221;
Temah applied to become an officer in June 2025, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/ice-detains-new-orleans-police-recruit-after-immigration-judge-signed-removal-order-following-his-hiring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News. He also had a valid driver&#8217;s license and Social Security number, and passed the E-Verify check, which ensures workers are in the country legally and eligible to work.
Kirkpatrick said they learned of his deportation order on Dec. 5, which was after he applied for the role with the department.
&#8220;The order of removal occurred after we had already hired him,&#8221; she said.
She said that the NOPD had conducted standard criminal background checks, including a search through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, and found no criminal history.
Temah&#8217;s case isn&#8217;t the first involving ICE arresting an illegal immigrant cop.
In October, federal authorities nabbed Radule Bojovic, an illegal immigrant from Montenegro, who was working as a police officer for the Hanover Police Department in Illinois.
Bojovic overstayed a tourist visa that required him to leave the United States on March 31, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/10/16/governor-jb-pritzkers-illinois-illegal-alien-working-sworn-police-office-badge-gun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time of his arrest. A judge later granted Bojovic a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-releases-illegal-immigrant-cop-from-ice-custody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$2,500 immigration bond</a> and he has since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-cop-previously-nabbed-by-ice-returns-to-work-for-illinois-police-department">returned</a> to work with the Hanover Police Department.
The department hired Bojovic in January 2025 since he had a federal work permit and passed all background checks, they previously said.

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New Orleans Police Recruit Turns Out To Be Illegal Immigrant Fraudster

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