Kristi Noem facing scrutiny from White House in wake of Minneapolis shooting but isn’t likely to be fired, sources say
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is facing internal scrutiny within the Trump administration in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, but Noem is expected to keep her job.
Sources said Noem was at the White House on Monday and faced questions about the Department of Homeland Security’s handling of the shooting and its response.
Her focus is expected to shift from immigration enforcement operations in the interior of the country to securing the southern border and other priorities.
Noem and top aide Corey Lewandowski had elevated Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and tasked him with overseeing highly publicized and controversial immigration raids in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans and, most recently, Minneapolis.
The move — intended to bolster President Trump’s mass deportation campaign — marked a significant change in tactics because immigration matters in the country’s interior have historically been handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, not Border Patrol.
Bovino, who was given a new title of “commander” and reported directly to Noem, sparked internal rifts at DHS between those who supported his aggressive tactics and those who believed they were undermining public support for the administration’s deportation campaign.
Amid growing backlash over the administration’s initial response to the second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, Bovino will soon leave his post in Minnesota and return to his regular job along the U.S.-Mexico border as the chief agent in California’s El Centro sector.
One official said serious threats against Bovino in Minnesota, including death threats, factored into the administration’s decision to pull him from the operation there.
White House border czar Tom Homan, with whom sources say Noem has had a frosty working relationship, is now leading the Minneapolis operation. Sources told CBS News Homan was in the West Wing to strategize Monday, before departing for the Twin Cities.
The White House is betting Homan can work with Democrats like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. At Monday’s White House briefing, Karoline Leavitt noted the Obama administration recognized Homan’s work in 2016 when he served as a senior DHS official.
“And so he’s obviously very qualified. He has the full trust and faith of the president,” Leavitt said. Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that Homan will meet with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, also a Democrat, on Tuesday.
Both Noem and Bovino have faced heavy scrutiny over their reaction to the death of Pretti, who was shot by Border Patrol on Saturday.
Hours after the shooting, Noem alleged Pretti “approached” Border Patrol agents with a gun and “violently resisted” after officers tried to disarm him, and Bovino accused him of trying to “massacre law enforcement.” But videos of the incident do not show Pretti brandishing a gun, and one video appears to show an officer removing a gun from Pretti’s waistband just moments before another agent fired the first shot.
Those comments drew public criticism from some congressional Republicans, who accused Noem of rushing to judgement. They also sparked anger within DHS, with some U.S. officials telling CBS News earlier Monday that top figures in the administration were mishandling the public messaging by making statements that aren’t supported by evidence.
“When we gaslight and contradict what the public can plainly see with their own eyes, we lose all credibility and it’s going to damage our reputation for generations,” said one DHS official requesting anonymity because this official is not authorized to talk to the press.
On Monday, dozens more congressional Democrats agreed to join as co-sponsors of legislation seeking to impeach Noem, amid the torrent of negative headlines and controversy.
Pretti’s death came amid a massive two-month-long surge of immigration agents to Minneapolis, with some 3,000 ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents arresting roughly 3,400 people in the area — drawing tense protests and criticism from local officials. The shooting came after another person in Minneapolis, Renee Good, was fatally shot by an ICE officer.
Two weeks ago, a CBS News poll found 61% of Americans feel ICE is being too tough when stopping and detaining people, a five-point increase from November. The Trump administration’s program to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally had a 46% approval rating, down from 51% a month earlier.
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