Kristi Noem takes charge, rights Biden’s and Mayorkas’ wrongs at DHS

Donald Trump’s second presidential administration has stormed into Washington like a Category 5 hurricane, dismantling the bureaucratic rot left by Joe Biden and previous presidents at an astonishing pace.

Among the high-profile disruptors in Trump’s Cabinet, few have made a more dramatic impact than Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The damage inflicted on America’s borders and law enforcement agencies during the Biden years is severe, and fixing it will not be easy.

Since taking office on January 25, Noem has been everywhere. She has joined Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on arrest operations in New York, inspected DHS security measures in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl, and accompanied Border Patrol agents in Texas — both by helicopter and on horseback.

Kristi Noem’s border visits are more than just photo ops — they mark a long-overdue corrective to the disastrous tenure of her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas.

Under Mayorkas’ “leadership,” more than 10 million illegal aliens entered the United States. When the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that DHS could not mass parole illegal aliens into the country, he expanded the practice anyway. Since fiscal year 2021, authorities have caught 362 individuals on the terrorist watchlist illegally crossing the Southwest border. That figure is just one piece of the overwhelming evidence showing how Mayorkas and Biden enabled an unprecedented border crisis.

The consequences of Mayorkas’ mismanagement have been severe, but his gaslighting only deepened the public’s frustration. Throughout the Biden administration, Americans watched him testify before Congress and speak to friendly corporate media outlets, repeatedly insisting that the southern border was secure — despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Instead of enforcing immigration laws, Mayorkas actively encouraged illegal crossings. His DHS even introduced the CBP One phone app, which Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and others described as a “concierge service for illegal immigrants.”

Mayorkas’ tenure also devastated the agencies under his command. With Border Patrol effectively transformed from a law enforcement agency into a welcoming committee for illegal aliens, more than 4,000 agents left the department since October 2020. Retirement rates more than doubled compared to the previous two administrations. Morale plummeted not just within the Border Patrol but also at ICE and other agencies under DHS.

Against this backdrop, Noem’s ride with the Del Rio horse patrol unit in Texas carried particular significance. In 2021, five members of the unit saw their reputations destroyed when the government’s highest officials and the media falsely accused them of wrongdoing over a misinterpreted photograph.

During a chaotic scene involving Haitian migrants, mounted agents were photographed with their horses’ reins flying through the air. Anti-border activists assumed the worst, immediately accusing the agents of whipping migrants.

Mayorkas, who initially defended the agents, quickly reversed course, declaring himself “horrified” by the images and vowing swift punishment. Biden, ignoring due process and the presumption of innocence, proclaimed, “It’s outrageous. I promise you those people will pay.”

The accusation against the Del Rio horse patrol had one major flaw: The photographer who captured the image stated that no whipping had occurred. Furthermore, Border Patrol does not issue whips to mounted agents.

Rather than admit their mistake, Mayorkas and Biden allowed the accused agents to endure months of public scorn, their reputations unjustly tarnished. A nearly 10-month inquiry confirmed that the agents had not whipped migrants, yet they still faced internal disciplinary action.

In a quiet acknowledgment of the injustice, DHS last year discreetly awarded a service medal to one of the mounted agents — a meager attempt at redemption but far from the public apology the patrol deserved. It remains one of the most shameful episodes in the department’s history.

During her Texas visit, Noem rode horseback with some of the falsely accused agents, signaling a commitment to repairing the relationship between DHS leadership and frontline personnel.

“The last leadership team at DHS, and Mayorkas, he rode over them,” Noem told Fox News’ Lawrence Jones. “I think it’s important today that they know I ride with them.”

The damage inflicted on America’s borders and law enforcement agencies during the Biden years is severe, and fixing it will not be easy. But Noem’s energy, leadership, and management style suggest she is up to the task.