Donald Trump has quietly stripped Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of her leading role in interior immigration enforcement after a tense late-night White House meeting triggered by a deadly shooting in Minnesota.
The showdown came after a federal immigration agent fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday. Noem publicly labeled the incident an act of “domestic terror” — a description that reportedly infuriated Trump and put her at odds with the president.
According to multiple reports, Trump sharply questioned Noem about her handling of the shooting and her initial public response during a closed-door Oval Office meeting overseen by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Noem’s close adviser — and rumored romantic partner — Corey Lewandowski was present for the grilling.
By the end of the night, Trump ordered Noem to step back from immigration enforcement operations inside U.S. cities and refocus instead on securing the southern border.
At the same time, Trump handed control of the Minnesota crackdown to Noem’s longtime rival, White House Border Czar Tom Homan — a major internal rebuke.
Despite the fallout, Noem is expected to keep her job for now.
Border Patrol Chief Pulled From Minneapolis
The shake-up didn’t stop with Noem.
Her top law enforcement ally on the ground, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, was abruptly withdrawn from Minneapolis along with dozens of agents. Bovino had been personally elevated by Noem and Lewandowski to oversee aggressive immigration raids in major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
That move had already angered officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who argued those operations traditionally fall under their authority — not Border Patrol’s.
Late Monday night, Bovino was sent back to California. The Daily Mail confirmed that Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott also revoked Bovino’s access to government-issued social media accounts.
Homan was seen inside the West Wing throughout Monday before flying to Minneapolis to take over operations.
Trump Wants a Deal With Minnesota’s Governor
Trump is now betting that Homan, a veteran ICE official, can negotiate a deal with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
The proposed arrangement would allow state and local police to cooperate with federal immigration agents in exchange for a gradual withdrawal of federal forces from the Twin Cities.
One administration official told CNN that Trump spent hours on Sunday and Monday watching cable news coverage of the shooting and the federal response — and was deeply unsettled by how his administration was being portrayed.
Trump Rejects ‘Domestic Terror’ Label
The rift between Trump and Noem deepened after she publicly described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.”
Trump made clear he disagreed.
“I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it,” he told The Wall Street Journal, stopping short of using Noem’s language.
During a White House press briefing Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also distanced the administration from Noem’s characterization.
“I have not heard the president characterize him as a domestic terrorist,” Leavitt said.
She and Communications Director Steven Cheung both attended Noem’s tense White House meeting with Trump.
