White House border czar Tom Homan made no effort to defend Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during Sunday morning interviews, confirming an ongoing power struggle that has played out since President Trump took office. The visible split between two of the administration’s top immigration officials comes as a Wall Street Journal investigation detailed what sources describe as chaos within the Department of Homeland Security.
On CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Jake Tapper read Homan a complaint from a Minnesota official claiming Noem and former Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino were “insane” and “not here to do anything other than put on a show.” Homan declined to dispute the characterization.
Instead, he recounted how Trump sent him to Minnesota and he simply did things the way he had done for 40 years.
When pressed about his relationship with Noem, Homan acknowledged their disagreements directly. On “Face the Nation,” he told CBS that he and Noem do not agree on everything, explaining that different opinions are worked out through daily multi-agency conference calls and meetings. But he stopped short of praising her leadership or downplaying the rift.
The friction between Homan and Noem has been building for months. Behind the scenes, Homan has preferred to prioritize targeting criminal illegal aliens, while Noem has wanted to go after everyone in the US illegally and conduct broad-based sweeps. That strategic divide took on new urgency after federal immigration agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, sparking widespread protests and national scrutiny of enforcement tactics.
Trump ultimately dispatched Homan to take direct control in Minnesota, a move widely interpreted as sidelining Noem. Last week, Homan announced the end of Operation Metro Surge after two months, citing improved cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement that allows more immigration detentions to occur at jails rather than in operations on the street. The decision to wind down the surge operation followed his earlier announcement that 700 of the roughly 3,000 agents sent to Minnesota would be withdrawn.
At a press conference in Phoenix on Friday, Noem insisted she remains “still in charge” of the Department of Homeland Security, which includes all 23 agencies under its umbrella. But the assertion came the same day The Wall Street Journal published a detailed investigation alleging constant chaos inside DHS.
According to the report, Noem tracked television appearances to ensure she got more airtime than Homan, berated staff when she saw him on TV, and on at least one occasion asked aides to ensure larger crowds showed up at her press conferences than at Homan’s events.
The Journal investigation painted a picture of a secretary focused on personal promotion over effective management. The report detailed that Noem and her top adviser Corey Lewandowski have fired or demoted roughly 80 percent of career ICE field leadership that was in place when they started. Bizarre personnel decisions included allegedly firing a Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left behind during a plane switch, though he was quickly reinstated when officials realized no one else could fly them back.
During his Sunday appearance, Homan offered praise for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, saying the three have been able to work together. The commendation stood in stark contrast to Noem’s previous accusations that Walz and Frey had incited violence in Minneapolis and needed to “grow up.” Walz later criticized Noem and Bovino for what he characterized as arrogance, noting they had not engaged in talks with him.
When Tapper asked Homan about Noem’s recent comments suggesting DHS has authority to ensure “we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country,” Homan said he didn’t know what she meant and suggested the secretary would have to answer for those statements herself. The distancing was notable given that both serve in senior roles overseeing immigration enforcement under Trump.
The rift has not gone unnoticed on Capitol Hill. Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, told reporters last month that what Noem did in Minnesota should be disqualifying and that she should be out of a job, calling her performance amateurish and terrible. Democratic lawmakers and a few Republicans have called for her resignation or impeachment following the fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Homan emphasized repeatedly during interviews that disagreements within the administration involve different ideas about execution, not fundamental conflicts. He pointed to record numbers of criminal aliens being arrested and deported as evidence that collaboration is working. But his refusal to defend Noem when given multiple opportunities suggests the partnership remains strained at best.
The broader context includes a partial government shutdown of DHS as Senate Democrats demand reforms to immigration enforcement in exchange for funding. They want agents to show identification, wear body cameras, remove masks, and seek judicial warrants before entering private property. When asked if he would consider adopting any of those demands, Homan said he was not part of the negotiations being conducted between the Senate, House, and White House.
The dysfunction at DHS comes as the administration attempts to execute the largest immigration enforcement operation in modern American history. Whether Trump will continue to tolerate the visible split between his border czar and homeland security secretary remains an open question. For now, Homan appears content to let his results speak for themselves while maintaining careful distance from a Cabinet official whose leadership has become a liability.
