Local reaction to Noem’s removal
UPDATE: Area legislators and party representatives provided statements on the president's decision to remove Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security.
El Paso County Republican Party Chairman Michael Aboud said, "I have no opinion on Secretary Noem being fired. I wish her the best in the future. I am sure she will do a great job wherever she goes."
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar stated: "Kristi Noem goes down as one of the most - if not the most - corrupt, incompetent Homeland Security Secretaries in our country’s history. Her firing was long overdue."
Texas State Senator Cesar Blanco said, "Under Secretary Noem’s tenure, innocent Americans have lost their lives, and many communities have experienced fear, pain, and distress. We hope the next Secretary will lead with humanity, accountability, and a commitment to protecting our communities while upholding the dignity and safety of all people.”
U.S. Rep. Vasquez was one of the first 20 Democratic lawmakers who led the initial call for Secretary Noem’s impeachment following the killing of Renee Nicole Good in January.
"Kristi Noem’s overdue removal as Secretary of Homeland Security is a step in the right direction. I have been leading the call for her removal since January because under her failed leadership we have seen the murder of American citizens by a government agency tasked with keeping them safe, failed emergency responses from FEMA in communities such as Ruidoso, and the continued waste of taxpayer funds. My calls for meaningful DHS reform remain the same, and new DHS leadership must take Noem’s removal as a sign that major change is needed. We cannot allow masked agents to roam our streets and terrorize Americans with impunity. Federal agents must be held accountable for their actions with independent investigations into violations of use of force and the use of body cameras. And Americans must not be swept up in mass raids, detained, and killed by their own government.”
"Good riddance. Fire Stephen Miller next," shared New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan.
Colin Allred who is running for the newly created District 33 in Texas said, "Under Kristi Noem, DHS didn't just bend the law — it threw it out entirely, detaining American citizens, deporting legal residents, and having zero regard for due process. But let's be clear: none of this was Noem going rogue. This was Trump's agenda, and firing her doesn't change a thing. DHS has become an out-of-control agency that answers to no one, and the only real fix is Congress doing its job and overhauling the agency before more damage is done.”
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich shared, "Kristi Noem should never have been nominated or confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. And I've been calling for her to resign or be fired for months now. Unfortunately, she has done an incredible amount of damage during her tenure. Her departure couldn't have come soon enough.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVIA) - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been removed from her post President Donald Trump announced today.
Trump said Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin will replace Noem as Department of Homeland Security secretary.
