President Donald Trump announced a major leadership change at the Department of Homeland Security, saying Secretary Kristi Noem will leave the department at the end of March and transition to a new role tied to a hemispheric security initiative.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) will take over as Secretary of Homeland Security effective March 31, 2026, while Noem will become Special Envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new Western Hemisphere security effort the administration plans to unveil this weekend in Doral, Florida.
The move effectively ends Noem’s tenure leading DHS, where she oversaw one of the federal government’s largest and most operationally complex departments, responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, disaster response, and transportation security.
While the president thanked Noem for her service, the announcement signals a significant leadership shake-up at a department central to the administration’s immigration and border policies.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The president did not explain why the leadership change was being made now, though the timing comes as DHS continues to manage high-profile operational pressures including border security, migration flows, and transnational criminal activity.
