WIRED -- The Controversies Finally Caught Up to Kristi Noem
" ... Scrutiny of Noem’s tenure extends beyond the fatal shootings in Minneapolis to a broader pattern of aggressive enforcement tactics, warrantless raids, and mass detention camps. A secretive policy directive issued in May 2025, first reported by the Associated Press, authorized ICE agents to forcibly enter private residences without a judicial warrant. The memo, signed by acting ICE director Todd Lyons, instructed agents to rely solely on an administrative removal document to bypass Fourth Amendment requirements. The policy led to multiple documented instances of federal agents entering the wrong homes, including a January raid in Minnesota where agents removed a US citizen at gunpoint with no legitimate reason.
A record 53 people died in ICE or CBP custody last year, according to House Democrats on the Committee on Homeland Security. Concurrently, Noem has initiated a $38 billion procurement effort to buy and refurbish up to 24 warehouses across the country, aimed at converting them into mass detention camps for people awaiting deportation.
Noem's tenure has led to controversy at other DHS agencies as well. Her insistence on approving any contracts or grants over $100,000 at the department have caused particular strain at FEMA, which has experienced a massive backlog of funding that has slowed normal processes at the agency. A report issued from Senate Democrats on Wednesday found that Noem�s vetting process at FEMA has caused more than 1,000 contracts, grants, and awards to be held up. Multiple FEMA employees have told WIRED that this process has made the agency less ready to respond to disasters and threats.
According to multiple outlets, Trump finally decided to remove Noem following two days of combative hearings on Capitol Hill, during which even one Republican senator called for her resignation. She testified that Trump had signed off on a $200 million DHS ad campaign that centered around Noem, which reportedly rankled the president...."
Much, much more at
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https://www.wired.com/story/the-controversies-finally-caught-up-to-kristi-noem/