Noem THANKS Trump for new Shield of the Americas role after DHS ousting

Noem Thanks Trump, Transitions to New Envoy Role at Shield of the Americas Summit

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump on Saturday for appointing her to a newly created position as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, following her removal from the position of DHS secretary. Speaking at the summit held at Trump National Doral near Miami, Noem showed no resentment and highlighted her pride in the department’s accomplishments.“I do want to thank the president for creating this and for giving me the honor and the opportunity to serve as a special envoy to this region, to the Western Hemisphere,” she said. “This Shield of the Americas will be a powerful example to the rest of the world about what’s possible.”Noem framed the new role as an expansion of border security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere, emphasizing shared values of freedom, democracy, and safety.

Defending Her DHS Record

Noem defended her tenure at DHS, claiming significant progress on immigration enforcement.“In the last year, as secretary of Homeland Security, we have focused on securing our border,” she said. “We’ve transformed our country from one that was being invaded… We’ve secured that border. We’ve focused on removing public safety threats, and over 3 million people have been deported or removed from our country in the last year.”She argued that strengthened U.S. borders now enable greater diplomatic and economic engagement with neighboring countries to help them address their own security challenges.

Trump Announces Replacement

Trump announced earlier this week via Truth Social that Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) will take over as DHS secretary effective March 31, while Noem assumes the special envoy position. The summit drew high-level attendance, including Trump Cabinet members such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Participating Western Hemisphere leaders included Argentina’s Javier Milei, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, Costa Rica’s Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Panama’s José Raúl Mulino, and others from Bolivia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. Notably absent were the leaders of Mexico and Venezuela.

(Details based on summit remarks and official announcements as of March 8, 2026.)