Washington — Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, stated on Sunday her intention to leverage the “broad and extensive” powers of her position to fulfill President Trump’s commitments.
“I aim to utilize every single authority at my disposal to ensure we are adhering to the law, executing our procedures to protect individuals, and delivering on President Trump’s promise of making America safe again,” Noem expressed during her appearance on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Her remarks came as the DHS has been carrying out polygraph examinations for its staff to identify potential information leaks to the media regarding ongoing immigration operations, as confirmed by an agency spokesperson to CBS News on Saturday.
Noem reiterated on Sunday that the testing will persist, vowing that individuals leaking information will face prosecution, with possible sentences of up to 10 years in federal prison.
“Anyone responsible for leaking details outside of operational safety for law enforcement needs to be held accountable,” Noem stated.
CBS News
Noem, who was confirmed as DHS secretary in late January, praised the administration’s border efforts, noting that “we’ve seen remarkable progress” since President Trump took office. She emphasized that this progress can be expanded through collaboration with the Mexican government to “ensure we have enforcement not just at the border, but also south of it, targeting the cartels.”
According to the DHS secretary, the tariffs introduced last week and subsequently postponed on Canada and Mexico are leading to improved partnerships aimed at safeguarding the public.
Noem highlighted that these tariffs are focused on preventing fentanyl from entering the United States, asserting that President Trump is dedicated to enhancing national safety.
“The president clearly desires a robust economy and improved trade agreements, but this initiative is fundamentally about fentanyl and our actions to dismantle the cartels’ collusion with Chinese officials who launder money and introduce a lethal substance into our country, targeting the next generation,” Noem stated.
Noem also revealed that Todd Lyons will act as the interim director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, emphasizing his extensive experience working with border czar Tom Homan. Madison Sheahan will assume the role of deputy secretary.
In the wake of the administration’s efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration and commitments to undertake the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, illegal border crossings reached a 25-year low last month. When asked about the status of the 6,000 military personnel stationed at the southern border, Noem confirmed they will remain “until that border is fully secure, and we see record lows in encounters.”
“Our border patrol is performing excellently, but we will maintain military presence until the message is clear: this is no longer Joe Biden’s America,” Noem asserted. “This is President Donald Trump’s nation where we uphold our borders and laws uniformly.”
However, challenges remain, as the administration is facing capacity constraints with a limited number of detention beds. Noem indicated plans to utilize a military facility at Fort Bliss in Texas for detentions, while stressing the necessity for Congress to authorize additional funding for these operations.
“We are just weeks away from exhausting the funds needed to sustain our current operations,” Noem warned.
