WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after President Donald Trump announced via social media that he is removing Kristi Noem from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership and transferring her to a yet-to-be-defined ‘special envoy’ role at an organization called the Shield of the Americas, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) said her removal was overdue and her toxic leadership at DHS is reflected throughout the agency, which is rife with mismanagement under the leadership of Noem and her ‘special adviser,’ Corey Lewandowski, who served as Trump’s campaign manager in 2016.

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported a series of shocking details and allegations of severe chaos and dysfunction inside Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, with multiple sources complaining about Noem and Lewandowski.

Today, Senator Reed stated: “Secretary Noem’s tenure at DHS was a trainwreck marked by mismanagement and misuse of taxpayer resources. Her departure from DHS is overdue, but it doesn’t solve the deeper problems at Trump’s DHS, particularly at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which continues to aggressively trample on the rights of all Americans. Unfortunately, Secretary Noem’s transfer to another government job signals the Trump Administration is not committed to real reform and accountability. The Trump Administration has shifted DHS away from its core national security and disaster recovery mission. These underlying issues cannot be resolved with a cabinet reshuffle. There needs to be meaningful policy, not just personnel changes, at DHS. It is time to rein in ICE and enact the commonsense reforms Democrats have been insisting on.”

Reed was one of 34 U.S. Senators to vote against Kristi Noem’s nomination to lead DHS.