Trump ousts DHS chief Noem; Minnesota leaders blast Metro Surge legacy
President Donald Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social that he is removing Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security and plans to nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her, a major shake‑up atop the agency that ran Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis–St. Paul. In rapid‑fire statements, Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey all welcomed Noem’s exit but said it does nothing to repair what they describe as lawless, deadly conduct by DHS, ICE and Border Patrol in Minnesota. Walz and Smith explicitly called for sweeping overhauls, independent investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and full accounting for children taken in the surge, while Flanagan said "it’s time to rip ICE apart" and warned that Trump’s "mass deportation agenda" continues regardless of who runs DHS. Klobuchar framed Noem’s firing as vindication for Minnesotans who fought Metro Surge abuses and pointed back to her own Senate questioning where she pressed Noem on why hundreds of federal agents remain in the state. The reactions make clear that, from the Twin Cities’ vantage point, swapping out the secretary is being read less as reform and more as political damage control unless it’s followed by concrete restraints on ICE and accountability for the surge’s fallout here.
📌 Key Facts
- President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is "removing" Kristi Noem as DHS secretary and will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as her replacement.
- Noem’s ouster follows two days of contentious testimony on Capitol Hill over her handling of DHS and ICE operations, including Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
- Minnesota’s top leaders — Walz, Flanagan, Smith, Klobuchar and Frey — all issued statements tying Noem’s tenure to the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good and to what they call terrorizing of immigrant communities in Minneapolis–St. Paul, while warning that a new secretary alone will not rein in ICE.
📊 Relevant Data
Among the 212 'worst of the worst' criminal illegal aliens arrested during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota as of January 2026, 20 were from Somalia, representing about 9.4% of this group, while Somalis make up approximately 1.9% of Minnesota's population (about 107,000 out of 5.7 million).
Who are the 'Worst of the Worst' being arrested by ICE in Minnesota? — FOX 9
Young Somali-born men in Minnesota have an incarceration rate of 5,030 per 100,000, roughly twice that of young native-born American men at 2,450 per 100,000, based on 2023 American Community Survey data adjusted for demographics.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
More than half (52.3%) of children in Somali immigrant homes in Minnesota live in poverty, compared to 7.6% of children in native-headed homes, with adult Somali immigrants having a poverty rate of 37.5% versus 6.9% for natives.
Somali Immigrants in Minnesota — Center for Immigration Studies
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, was fatally shot by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on January 24, 2026, while filming immigration enforcement activities during Operation Metro Surge; he was carrying a holstered gun and was acting as a legal observer.
Killing of Alex Pretti — Wikipedia
Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, during an immigration operation in Minneapolis after attempting to flee; she was a U.S. citizen and the incident occurred amid protests against Operation Metro Surge.
Kristi Noem blames 'violent protesters, chaos' for Renee Good, Alex Pretti shootings — FOX 9
In Minnesota's 2024 crime data, Black individuals accounted for 1,862 arrests out of a total where race was reported, representing about 26% of arrests, while comprising approximately 7% of the state's population.
2024 BCA Uniform Crime Report — Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Federal refugee resettlement policies have contributed to long-term socioeconomic integration challenges for Somali communities in Minnesota, with 89% of Somali immigrant households with children using welfare programs.
Refugee flood isn't smart policy, it's the gift that keeps on taking — Fox News
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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