President Donald Trump has fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and says he’ll nominate in her place Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
Trump made the announcement on social media on Thursday, two days after Noem faced a grilling on Capitol Hill from GOP members as well as Democrats.
Trump says he’ll make Noem a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere.
Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term. Noem’s departure caps a tumultuous tenure overseeing immigration enforcement tactics that have been met with protests and lawsuits.
Immigrant, refugee organizations reacts to Noem’s departure
Some of the most important immigrant organizations in the U.S. quickly welcomed Noem’s departure as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security but said they did not see her replacement by Sen. Markwayne Mullin as a radical change.
“Keeping communities safe — including those of our immigrant and refugee neighbors — are what should be most important to any government official,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS, one of the oldest refugee organizations in the U.S.
“We call on all leaders in this administration — including the incoming Secretary — to lead with the utmost respect and dignity for the most vulnerable across our country.”
Separately, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of the refugee resettlement organization Global Refuge, said in a statement that her departure is an “opportunity to course-correct.”
“The past year has been marked by policy whiplash, the erosion of long-standing humanitarian protections, and mounting instability for immigrants, employers, and the communities that depend on them,” said Vignarajah.
Source: WPLG
