Donald Trump has fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem due to controversy over immigration enforcement policies and public statements.
The decision came after criticism about her congressional testimony and management of the Department of Homeland Security.
Reports indicated that there had been tension after Noem said Trump approved a $220 million advertising campaign in which she was featured prominently.
The announcement came under review from lawmakers, who questioned how the process was funded, and what the campaign focused on.
Trump later refuted accusations that he authorised the project personally.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump posted that Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace Noem as DHS chief on March 31, depending on Senate confirmation.
He called Mullin “a staunch advocate of border security and immigration enforcement.”
Trump also announced that Noem would be a special envoy for a proposed Western Hemisphere initiative called, “The Shield of the Americas.”
He praised her record, saying she had produced major results in border operations in spite of the criticism that surrounded her tenure.
However, under her direction, the enforcement actions were of concern to bipartisan lawmakers.
Federal agents ran operations in a number of cities as part of mass deportation efforts which was an essential part of Trump’s immigration policy.
Critics argued that the operations resulted in violent clashes and raised questions about accountability after two US citizens were shot during an enforcement operation.
Opposition members called for investigations, particularly, after Noem was reported to have said that the people who were shot were “domestic terrorists” before official findings were known.
Lawmakers also looked closely at the granting of contracts, especially large contracts, without standard competitive bidding procedures in place.
Immigration policy remains a topic of political debate as Congress refuses to approve more funding for enforcement and the administration seeks to enforce stiffer border control measures.
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