Kristi Noem Wasn’t Fired; She Was Promoted

While her removal from the Department of Homeland Security is being celebrated, the president created a position to reward her for her cruelty

On Thursday, former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was removed from her position to much fanfare. Many have called for her resignation or impeachment since her confirmation just over a year ago. In Congress, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) has been calling for her resignation since April 2025. As many across the political spectrum celebrate her ouster, what they’re seemingly overlooking is that she was simply reassigned to working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Noem’s official title is Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas - Western Hemisphere, a position created just yesterday specifically for her. In working with Rubio and Hegseth, she will be overseeing the White House’s efforts to control Latin America. The foreign policy implications of her position will open the door to doing much more harm to Latin Americans and Caribbean Islanders. Given her history, her treatment of nonwhite people, and her blatant disregard for the law domestically, her actions now have international implications. Combining Noem with Rubio and Hegseth, both of whom have ignored domestic and international law, this is an escalation by the White House.

“Thank you, President Trump, for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas – Western Hemisphere. Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegseth are incredible leaders, and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren,” said Kristi Noem in an emailed statement. “The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise I forged over my time as Secretary of Homeland Security.”

Within hours, a media note was issued declaring that a Shield of the Americas Summit will be held in Doral, Florida, on March 7, the same day meetings with some Latin American leaders were already planned. Those invited consist of leaders directly aligned with Trump’s dominionist plans for Latin America, many of whom were recently elected after Trump openly meddled in their country’s elections last year. Out of 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, only twelve leaders have been invited; a who’s who of sycophants:

• Argentine President Javier Milei

• Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz

• Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast

• Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves

• Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader

• Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa

• Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali

• Honduran President Nasry Asfura

• Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino

• Paraguayan President Santiago Pena

• Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele

• Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

This newly created “Shield of the Americas” is to operate under the same narco-terrorist and cartel pretexts that led to bombing boats and threatening sovereign nations. Officially, the assertion is that the countries will form a coalition to advance Trump’s policy of exerting control over Latin America’s vast resources. Despite the many White House claims to justify its overtly militaristic tactics against various countries in the region, the Trump administration has made its motivations about resource theft abundantly clear many times.

“The United States will welcome our strongest, like-minded allies in our hemisphere to promote freedom, security, and prosperity in our region,” reads the media note. “This historic coalition of nations will work together to advance strategies that stop foreign interference in our hemisphere, criminal and narco-terrorist gangs and cartels, and illegal and mass immigration.” 

Notably absent from the invitation list are the leaders of Brazil, the largest economy in South America, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico, the U.S’s largest trading partner. As expected, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua have also been excluded. The invitees highlight the White House’s focus on “like-minded” partners in the region. With Noem at the helm in implementing Trump’s policies in the hemisphere, and with her abhorrent history of targeting nonwhite groups, we can get an idea of the cruelty that will likely motivate the Trump administration moving forward.

Kristi Noem wasn’t fired. She was rewarded for her cruelty.

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