U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Tuesday addressed some of her staff, promising to provide resources and support as the agency fulfills its duties, one of them carrying out President Donald Trump’s plan to deport masses of undocumented people.
Earlier in the day, Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, was in New York City, accompanying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in arrests across the city. In a video posted to social media, Noem — clad in a vest labeled POLICE/ICE — said she was in the city “to get the dirtbags off our streets.”
The visit to New York followed a weekend of highly publicized immigration enforcement, where ICE officials announced they arrested nearly 1,000 people in the country without legal authorization. However, an arrest does not mean an immigrant has been detained or in deportation proceedings and ICE has not specified details of those arrests.
Before Noem addressed DHS workforce, as she walked up to the lectern, the song “Hot Mama” by country singer Trace Adkins, played in the background, with the chorus “One hot mama, you turn me on, let’s turn it up and turn this room into a sauna.”
It was reminiscent of a March 2024 appearance by Noem with Trump at an Ohio campaign rally at which he called her “a very special woman who’s hot as a politician” and “beautiful.” Noem at the time was considered a potential running mate for Trump, who later chose J.D. Vance, then a Republican senator from Ohio.
Noem told staff that she aims to provide them the resources to carry out their mission and that her vision for the agency stems from a story from her childhood.
When she was 10, building a fence with her dad, he asked her for a tool that was in the truck. When she ran to the truck to get it for him, he told her, “You should know what I need, before I know what I need.”
“What he was doing was teaching us to think ahead,” she said. “That is what our job is as well here at the Department of Homeland Security. We prepare ahead and think three steps ahead so that people have what they need before they need it.”
Noem, whom the U.S. Senate confirmed on Saturday, will lead one of the federal government’s largest departments, with a staff of roughly 260,000 employees and a budget around $100 billion.
DHS responsibilities include border protection, disaster response, global threats, cyber and airline security and the U.S. Secret Service, among other duties.
In her address, Noem added that she specifically asked Trump to lead DHS because it is the president’s “number one priority.”
–Ariana Figueroa, Florida Phoenix
Sherry says
Dirtbags huh. . . I’d say “pot calling the kettle black”. Don’t ya just love it when Maga Republicans insist they are not racist?
Jackson says
Okay, the fact that they’re denying immigrants any kind of legal defense, or even advice, should scare the bejeeus out of all of us. Right now it’s just happening to “them” but those kind of things have a way of expanding and eventually being used against “us.”
Remember, it did not start with gas chambers. It started with politicians dividing the people with “us vs. them.” It started with intolerance and hate speech and when people stopped caring, became desensitized and turned a blind eye.
This dog killer is a disgrace!
SMH
Deborah Coffey says
If she can see through all her Botox, she should look at herself in a mirror. Then, she would know what a real DIRTBAG is.
Al says
If you crossed the border illegally then you are automatically a criminal. If you feel so strongly about it then you should sponsor an illegal immigrant family and be responsible for them. I’m quite sure you have no problem with them living in your house and you having to pay to take care of them. My thought is no way I’d take one in even though I have 3 empty rooms, you feel the same don’t you.
Laurel says
I’m so glad Republicans are not sexist or bigoted as they claim they aren’t.
So, the left have “cattle” for female politicians, is that right? Then Republican men all look like Gavin Newsom, correct? How about Republican men in general? That’s what is really important, to y’all?
This is what we are becoming: a society of immature brats who call the President of the United States “daddy” and professional women “cattle.” I often wonder just how low our society can go, and they keep surprising me.
Matt says
Illegal aliens are NOT citizens of the United States, therefore they don’t enjoy constitutional rights.
Ed P says
Libs, you can’t win on this issue. The problem is real. The public is soundly behind repatriation of the undesirables. They are fatigued of being told that immigrants do not commit crimes. NYC residents, yes democrats, are praising the actions.
It’s not a racist or xenophobic, or even a Republican issue. It’s just a problem.
How would any of you address and fix the problem with all the sanctuary cities?
How?
You can not shame the problem away, you can’t name call the problem away, you can’t spend welfare dollars the problem away. You had a chance, get out of the way.
Faster than expected says
I’m behind deportation of the gop terrorists. The Latinos can stay. Nazi cons can go to the camps they are building.
Skibum says
A real dirtbag is someone who would shoot and kill one of their pets for no reason whatsoever other than having a gun in their hand and an evil intention… oh, that would be Kristi Noem!
R.S. says
But they ARE human and so deserve human rights and humane treatment. President Gustavo Petro of Colombia did not object to the repatriation of undocumented Colombians from the US; what he objected to was the inhumane condition of being fettered by hands and feet in a military plane, rather decently traveling in a passenger airliner. Also consider that the ecological footprint of an average US-American is 8.5 hectares [about 21 acres]; it’s about time the US shared some of its ill-gotten wealth [stealing the land from one indigenous people and developing it by the slave labor of another indigenous people] with the rest of the world, the average ecological footprint of the rest of the world being 2.7 hectares [about 6 acres].
Bobby says
Who raised her? Please don’t tell me she claims to be a Christian. No wonder she was picked by Trump all real dirt bags stick together.
BrentJ says
Sorry, my friend. Several clauses of the US Constitution define the rights of “people” or “a person”, much of the Bill of Rights included. Free speech, due process, legal counsel, etc. are all guaranteed to persons and not subject to citizenship.
jake says
If illegal immigrants are dirtbags then what are the people who hire them. Didn’t th dirtbag family have them working at all of their facilities ??
Dennis C Rathsam says
[Comment disallowed. Racist. Please comply with our comment policy. Thank you.–FL]
Atwp says
She isn’t a dirt bag? Wow.