US President Donald Trumphas announced a cabinet reshuffle that will seeKristi Noemmove to a newly created diplomatic role after being removed as Secretary of theUS Department of Homeland Security(DHS). Trump confirmed on Thursday that OklahomaSenator Markwayne Mullinwill be nominated to lead the department, marking the first major personnel change of the administration's second term.

The transition is scheduled to take effect on 31 March 2026. Noem will take up a position titled Special Envoy for the 'Shield of the Americas', a regional security programme focused on cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. Mullin, meanwhile, is expected to assume leadership of the federal agency responsible for border enforcement and domestic security if his nomination is confirmed.

The personnel change follows a week of congressional hearings during which Noem faced questioning from Republican and Democratic lawmakers over immigration enforcement and the department's internal management. While the president praised her 'spectacular results' at the border, the announcement comes amid a partial shutdown of DHS caused by afunding impasse on Capitol Hill.

Noem's new role as Special Envoy for the 'Shield of the Americas' will centre on international security cooperation across North, Central and South America,AP Newsreported. The programme is intended to strengthen coordination on border enforcement, the disruption of narcotics cartels and the management of regional migration.

The initiative will operate as a diplomatic effort under the US Department of State, signalling a shift in Noem's responsibilities from domestic enforcement to regional engagement. In astatement following the announcement, she said she would work closely with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth to address transnational security threats.

THIS WEEKEND 🇺🇸Shield of the Americas Summit: the historic meeting reinforcing the Donroe Doctrinepic.twitter.com/TC7hg6OArN

Thank you@POTUSTrump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.@SecRubioand@SecWarare 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…

To replace Noem at the DHS, Trump has selectedSenator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma and a member of the Cherokee Nation. Mullin previously served for a decade in the House of Representatives before his election to the Senate in 2022 and has been a vocal supporter of the administration's immigration policies.

The nominee, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter and business owner, would oversee a department of roughly 260,000 employees, according toTIME. If confirmed by the Senate, Mullin would assume responsibility for agencies including Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Coast Guard.

As a kid from Westville, it has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve the people of Oklahoma for the past thirteen years in both the House and Senate.I am grateful to President Trump for nominating me to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I look forward to…

Source: International Business Times UK