Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem said that she is exploring ways to fire employees who "don't like us" or "don't support what we are doing," raising alarms about potential political retaliation.
The remarks came Wednesday during the inaugural meeting of the Trump administration's new Homeland Security Advisory Council, held at DHS headquarters, according to Axios. Noem, who was confirmed earlier this year, used her opening comments to criticize the department's workforce and blame her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, for what she described as a culture of inertia.
"What we have to be aware of is that we're working with the department that for the last four years hasn't been required to do much," she said. "There's a lot of people here that don't support what we're doing."
Noem's rhetoric reflects a broader push by the Trump administration to reassert political control over DHS operations. Over the past few months, officials have requested that employees working on legal immigration processes volunteer to assist with deportation activities, per CBS News.
Among its 22 Trump-appointed members are figures like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, billionaire tech investor Marc Andreessen and conservative commentator Mark Levin. The group is tasked with offering "real-world" guidance on department operations, but critics say it also signals an intent to reshape DHS in line with Trump's hardline immigration and national security agenda.
While Noem said during the meeting that she is looking to advisers for ways to remove employees who "don't like us," it remains unclear what legal mechanism she could use to fire career civil servants.
Originally published on Latin Times
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