Post Reports How Kristi Noem transformed immigration enforcement
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Jan 27, 2026 Marianne Levine, an immigration reporter for The Washington Post, explains how Kristi Noem reshaped DHS into an aggressive immigration enforcer. Levine traces the shift from counterterrorism to widespread deportations and interior operations. She outlines reassignments of personnel, use-of-force concerns, congressional pushback, and what leadership changes could mean for future oversight.
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DHS Was Built As A Post‑9/11 Umbrella
- DHS was created after 9/11 by merging 22 agencies to centralize counterterrorism and related functions.
- That design combined immigration, border, and disaster roles under one umbrella, shaping DHS's original mandate.
All‑Of‑Government Push For Deportations
- The second Trump administration pushed an "all-of-government" approach redirecting resources toward mass deportations.
- Agencies and employees outside traditional immigration roles have been reassigned to enforcement tasks.
Noem's Media Makeover And Governor Moves
- Kristi Noem rose from Congress to governor of South Dakota and used high‑visibility media to build a national profile.
- As governor she rejected COVID restrictions and even sent state troops to the U.S.–Mexico border to boost her image.