Donald Trump‘s apparent decision to sideline Kristi Noem amid the national reckoning over ICE’s actions in Minnesota could mark the end of the stellar rise of ‘ICE Barbie.’
It came as the shooting of Alex Pretti, 37 in Minneapolis on Saturday seemed to signal a turning point in the president’s own thinking, with even some Republicans demanding ICE be reined in, and Noem facing heavy criticism for calling Pretti a ‘domestic terrorist.’
On Monday, Trump announced he was sending his border czar Tom Homan, a rival of Noem, to Minnesota to take charge.
‘I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight,’ Trump declared on Truth Social. ‘He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.’
A White House insider told the Daily Mail that Noem had been mainly dealing with the winter storms over the weekend because, as well as ICE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is part of her Department of Homeland Security.
‘Kristi Noem was focused primarily on FEMA and the snow storms over the weekend,’ the insider said. ‘Even though she answered questions about the mess in Minneapolis, she was doing a lot. With Homan now in charge, Noem can focus on the response to the ice storms and Homan can focus on the storm over ICE.’
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a press conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 24, 2026
Whatever the reason for the move, it was the latest in a long line of scandals that have seen Noem go from potential 2028 presidential candidate to the betting favorite to be ousted next from Trump’s cabinet.
One source familiar with Trump’s move told the Daily Mail: ‘Trump sending in Tom Homan shows the president is taking control of the narrative after watching the news closely. Trump wants to signal toughness without any sign of backing down. Most notably, Trump is sending Homan to report directly to him.’
The move did not represent a ‘de-escalation’ by ICE but notably, sources said, the president wants to see ‘toughness and professionalism.’
He was also said to accept that the ongoing problem in Minnesota is deeper than just how ICE has been portrayed in the media.
Homan will go there with ‘real authority’ and ‘to fix a problem for the president,’ a source said.
Amid the internal battle with Noem, it will also give Homan the chance to outshine her if he succeeds.
President Trump is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota amid ongoing riots
Federal agents try to clear demonstrators in Minneapolis using tear gas
The two enforcers of Trump’s immigration policy have been locked in opposing positions, with Noem keen to arrest as many illegal immigrants as possible, while Homan leans toward focusing on the ‘worst of the worst.’
Longer term, Trump’s latest decision could also could move him closer to declaring the Insurrection Act if he needs to.
‘The White House is working up the logistics in preparation for Trump to declare the Insurrection Act,’ a source said. ‘They want to be ready if he needs to declare it.’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem displays a picture of Alex Pretti’s gun during a news conference at the headquarters for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The moment that the first shot is fired, leading to the death of Alex Pretti
Demonstrators participate in a rally and march during an ‘ICE Out’ day of protest on January 23 in Minneapolis
A White House official strongly denied that Noem had lost the trust of the president.
‘Secretary Noem will continue to lead the Department of Homeland Security with the full trust and confidence of the President,’ the official told the Daily Mail.
‘Tom Homan is uniquely positioned to drop everything and focus solely on Minnesota to solve the problems that have been created by a lack of cooperation from state and local officials.’
In a statement, Noem said: ‘I have worked closely with Tom over the last year and he has been a major asset to our team.
‘His experience and insight will help us in our wide-scale fraud investigations, which have robbed Americans, and will help us to remove even more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens off the of streets of Minneapolis.’
Alex Pretti, a US citizen who lived in Minneapolis and worked as a nurse, was shot by Border Patrol officers on the street
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot by an ICE officer on January 7 in Minneapolis
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, left, and White House border czar Tom Homan walk to speak with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, January 29, 2025
President Trump’s intervention came following weeks of riots in Minneapolis which started after the fatal shooting of anti-ICE protester Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.
Some Republican lawmakers in Washington have suggested Noem’s operation spiraled out of control, while Democratic leaders are demanding that federal agents leave Minnesota.
Whatever the effect on Noem’s standing, it is the latest in a litany of highly controversial incidents involving the former South Dakota governor.
The shooting of Pretti, an ICU nurse at a veterans’ hospital, appears to have been a key moment for President Trump.
In the aftermath of Pretti’s death, Noem publicly argued that he had ‘committed an act of domestic terrorism’ and was shot by a federal officer in self-defense.
Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump dance to the song ‘Y.M.C.A.’ at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024
The White House said Noem retained the ‘full trust and confidence’ of the president
She said Pretti was armed – which he was – but also that he was ‘brandishing’ and that he ‘reacted violently’ when officers tried to disarm him.
Noem said an agent had feared for his life and fired defensive shots.
For many independent observers, including firearms and law enforcement procedural experts, her account did not chime with the numerous videos of the fatal incident.
That shooting came just 17 days after Noem was lambasted, including by many in law enforcement, for her handling of the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
Just hours after that incident Noem stepped to the microphones when few details were publicly known.
Instead of saying there would be an investigation to assess the facts, which would be expected, Noem claimed that Good had committed an act of ‘domestic terrorism,’ ‘weaponized’ her car and ‘attempted to run a law enforcement officer over.’
The officer, she declared, followed his training.
Those comments sent shockwaves through the law enforcement community and America at large.
After the shooting, President Trump initially said that Good ‘violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer’ and ‘behaved horribly.’
However, amid ongoing condemnation of the shooting, he starkly softened his tone.
On January 20 he called it a ‘tragedy.’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has frequently joined law enforcement operations
Kristi Noem has faced criticism for her handling of the Alex Pretti shooting in Minneapolis
He said: ‘You know, when the woman was shot, I felt terribly about it. And I understand both sides of it.
‘You know they’re going to make mistakes. Sometimes, ICE is going to be too rough with somebody or, you know, they deal with rough people. They’re going to make a mistake. Sometimes it can happen terribly.’
On Sunday, riots erupted outside a Hilton hotel in Minneapolis where ICE agents are believed to be staying.
Protesters smashed windows, spray-painted the hotel’s facade, and chanted.
The furious mob tried to break through the front door but were unsuccessful.
