Noem tightens her grip on DHS

(Brittany Gibson – Axios) Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has upended DHS staffing in her first year, pairing high-level leadership ousters with a growing staff exodus. Why it matters: Multiple reports describe a culture of fear inside DHS as Noem and her top adviser Corey Lewandowski have fired, reassigned and demoted people throughout the department’s 23 sub-agencies. The big picture: About 10% of employees left DHS last year, according to a review by Federal News Network. Roughly 80% of career leadership at ICE has been fired or demoted under Noem’s tenure, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The agency is under immense pressure to reach arrest and deportation goals. This includes the early demotion of the first acting agency director Caleb Vitello last February. Noem tried to replace Vitello with her political ally Madison Sheehan, who became deputy director before departing to run for Congress. – Kristi Noem tightens her grip on the Department of Homeland Security