5 controversies defining Kristi Noem before her ousting at DHS
Her tenure has had controversies ranging from her pets and government contracts, to defending the killing of US citizens by federal agents.
Eduardo CuevasKristi Noem’s record as Homeland Security secretary has been riddled with controversy in the year she's led the agency for President Donald Trump.
On March 5, Trump announced Noem, a former South Dakota governor and congresswoman, would step down as head of the department. Her new role, Trump said in a Truth Social post, would be as special envoy to a newly formed security coalition in the Western Hemisphere.
Her tenure, since Trump took office in January 2025, has had controversies ranging from her pets and government contracts to how quickly she defended the killings of U.S. citizens by immigration enforcement officers.
Still, in her time leading the agency − which oversees federal immigration enforcement − she took on oversight of one of the Trump administration's most high-profile initiatives. Border crossings, for instance, have plunged in Trump's first year. Meanwhile, DHS has overseen increases in deportations, particularly of people without criminal records, and other Trump priorities.
Here are five controversies surrounding Noem, a Republican who at one point was considered a potential running mate for Trump.
Shooting her dog, making up Kim Jong Un meeting
Excerpts from Noem’s 2024 memoir, “No Going Back,” were highlighted when she was floated as a vice presidential pick. But they resurfaced this week in Senate hearings.
In her book, she recounted fatally shooting her 14-month-old wirehair pointer on her family farm because the dog was “untrainable.” She also killed a goat.
In a March 3 hearing, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, chastised her for killing her animals.
“Those are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment, not unlike what happened in Minneapolis,” Tillis said. “We’re an exceptional nation, and one of the reasons we’re exceptional is we expect exceptional leadership, and you’ve demonstrated anything but that.”
He took a parting shot on March 5 after Trump removed Noem and announced that U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, would succeed her. "Another big positive: he likes dogs," Tillis posted on X along with a photo of Mullin and his six children.
Additionally, Noem's memoir included a false anecdote about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Her spokesperson reportedly said the section would be corrected.
Killings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and increasing deaths in custody
In January, federal officials under DHS killed two U.S. citizens in the span of two weeks in Minneapolis amid an immigration enforcement operation. Noem commented on the two cases, criticizing those shot, before investigations into the shootings concluded.
On Jan. 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good in her car. Noem said Good attacked the ICE agent and tried to run him over. Video evidence disputes Noem's account.
On Jan. 24, Border Patrol agents shot Alex Pretti multiple times. Noem said Pretti, who had a concealed carry license, brandished his firearm. Video shows this didn’t happen.
Noem accused both Good and Pretti of committing “acts of domestic terrorism.”
Asked in congressional hearings to apologize for her comments about Good and Pretti, Noem didn't apologize to their families but offered condolences for their losses.
At the same time, Noem's DHS has come under questioning over a record number of people dying in ICE custody in 2015.
DHS ads, corruption allegations
DHS has grown with more with federal funding and the agency spent millions to promote Trump’s priority of mass deportations. ProPublica reported DHS has a $220 million advertising contract with Strategy Group, a company tied to Noem, the husband of former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and Noem’s top aide Corey Lewandowski, a Trump ally who ran the president’s 2016 campaign. Lewandowski has a role as a special government employee in DHS.
Noem reportedly had an internal DHS policy to consolidate approval of agency spending for contracts over $100,000 to her and top aides. In testimony to Congress, she responded that Lewandowski didn’t have a role in contract approvals, which ProPublica reported contradicts internal documents.
Luxury jet, firing pilot over blanket
Noem’s DHS bought private jets, including during the government shutdown, to use for deportation flights.
Most recently, DHS bought one $70 million luxury jet, in what Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, said was akin to buying a “Rolls Royce to turn into a metro bus.”
On one of the government jets, Noem reportedly had a missing blanket during a spring 2025 flight. Reuters reported Lewandowski, who was traveling with Noem, entered the cockpit to fire a pilot over the blanket. The pilot was later reinstated, because he was one of the few people to fly the plane.
Salvadoran prison shoot
Early in Trump’s first year, Noem oversaw the deportation of some 250 Venezuelan migrant men to a notorious Salvadoran prison, accusing them of ties to gangs. She boasted about placing the men inside El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, which has been used by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, a Trump ally, to indefinitely imprison suspected gang members without trial.
In late March, Noem, donning a $50,000 Rolex watch, visited the prison to show the administration's aggressive approach to immigration enforcement.
The men have since been released to Venezuela in a prisoner exchange.
Noem, in her new role, will handle security issues in the Western Hemisphere. As a special envoy in Trump’s newly formed coalition, Noem is expected to handle issues on immigration and drug trafficking alongside a list of Latin American leaders.
This story has been updated to clarify information about Noem's tenure at the Department Homeland Security.