Kristi Noem’s Publicity Stunt Spoiled Surprise ICE Raid, Sources Say

On Apr 16, 2025

Kristi Noem’s fondness for photo-ops may be undermining her own agency’s mission, according to an array of government sources who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.

The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security’s frequent, often flashy appearances at border crossings and alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have made her a walking billboard for President Donald Trump’s deportation crackdown.

But some officials are reportedly frustrated by the fallout from her publicity blitzes, which have also included millions in television ads and a widely criticized tour of an infamous Salvadoran prison where hundreds of immigrants were sent last month.

In one instance, sources told the Journal that Noem likely hampered a series of early morning raids in New York City by posting about the operation on social media while it was still underway.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks to authorities at the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, California, on March 16.

People familiar with the January effort claimed Noem’s post on X tipped off targets that ICE was in action, spoiling the element of surprise and resulting in “fewer arrests than officials had hoped for.”

Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, dismissed the suggestion, telling the Journal that the raids were already winding down when Noem’s post went live.

Still, her taste for the spotlight has reportedly stirred frustration in Washington D.C.

Secretary Noem takes a tour of the border wall at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, on March 15.

Sources told the paper that Noem’s ongoing press tour means she spends just “a few hours a week” at the department’s headquarters, a sharp contrast with previous DHS secretaries who were more hands-on in shaping strategy.

McLaughlin, however, argued that Noem’s unorthodox approach has delivered results.

With illegal border crossings now at their lowest level in decades, the DHS spokesperson told the Journal, “The world is hearing Secretary Noem’s message loud and clear: The border is at its most secure in American history and border encounters are at record lows.”

“Criminal aliens are staying out and migrants are turning back before they ever reach our borders,” she added.

Read more about friction with Noem’s direction at DHS inside The Wall Street Journal’s full report.