Security Policy Alert: Kristi Noem Out as DHS Secretary

March 5, 2026

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump announced that he plans to nominate Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has been named as a special envoy for a new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere. More details on the Western Hemisphere security initiative will be announced at a summit with Latin American leaders on Saturday. In the post, the President thanked Noem for her service at DHS.

Noem has been under increasing scrutiny from both Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, especially in the wake of recent immigration enforcement activity and the tragic events in Minneapolis in January. Congress has not yet passed a final FY2026 funding bill for DHS and its component agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as negotiations are on-going on Democrats’ demands to put more restrictions on immigration enforcement and border security activities in the final spending bill.

With funding lapsed, DHS employees, including frontline Transportation Security Officers, continue to work but are not getting paid. TSA told AAAE today that they are beginning to see about a 1 percent increase nationwide in unexcused absences among TSOs. AAAE President & CEO Todd Hauptli joined President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association Geoff Freeman and Airlines for America President and CEO Christopher T. Sununu in announcing the launch of the “Pay Federal Aviation Workers” campaign, designed to activate Americans to urge Congress to pass legislation ensuring that essential federal aviation employees continue to receive pay during government shutdowns.

We will continue to monitor the nomination of Noem's replacement and provide updates as appropriate. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need any additional information.