Long before she took the job as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), former Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., was the target of a smear campaign that seemingly attacked even her choice of breakfast cereal (oatmeal with berries).
Then, when she later took the position, it came with the slur "ICE Barbie"; a woman (they said) impervious to any remorse over the deaths of two violent protesters against the 23-year-old U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, part of DHS – or, of the impact on illegal immigrants and their families of being "ripped from their homes" and sent back to nations "they fled in fear."
In a culture that finds excuses to set murderers and even terrorists free to ruin other peoples' lives because "they may have changed during their years in prison" or because at age 57 they surely would not sexually assault another child, sending people who contracted with terrorist cartels to enter America illegally to face the consequences of their actions is deemed cruel and unusual punishment.
But taking money, jobs, and housing from needy Americans to give to strangers and then helping those with no legal right to America's riches sign up to vote themselves, even more government assistance is at best callous toward American citizens – and especially to those patiently awaiting the right to enter the U.S. legally.
It's rewarding the scofflaw and punishing the paying customer.
It is the mentality that endorses shoplifting as a good sport everyone should try – with no consequences for getting caught.
The media were ecstatic that President Trump was "forced" to remove Noem from her job at DHS – then despondent that he had the chutzpah to choose her to coordinate his signature hemispheric initiative.
President Trump describes the novel "Shield of the Americas" as a "military coalition to eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region."
At its launch, representatives of 17 Latin American and Caribbean nations signed on.
Trump then pledged that the U.S. will "train and mobilize partner nation militaries to achieve the most effective fighting force necessary; to dismantle cartels and their ability to export violence and pursue influence through organized intimidation."
The training program is to be modeled on an initiative in Ecuador, where President Daniel Noboa authorized Ecuadorian security forces to work with the U.S. military, with the initial campaign a targeted strike that involved "lethal kinetic action," according to Politico.com.
If the Ecuadorian action is any indicator, the Shield of the Americas initiative could be a big deal. And President Trump chose Kristi Noem to oversee U.S. interaction with each of the nations cooperating to weaken criminal organizations, those that disrupt economies, terrorize and effectively enslave entire populations, and weaken U.S. national security.
Why, given her controversial media image, choose Noem to work with hemispheric leaders?
Well, to begin with, Trump's greater anger is at the politicians, paid protesters, and foreign billionaires who continue funding a smear campaign against ICE - and Noem in particular.
Moreover, according to The Hill.com, Noem's mission at Shield of the Americas will be similar to her role at DHS. The White House says her past experiences make her the absolute right candidate for a job that also focuses on illegal immigrants, transnational human trafficking, and border crossings of both people and contraband.
Noem has said she looks forward to working with Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth "to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.
"In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise I forged over the last 13 months."
Speaking of those 13 months, a quick review shows, perhaps contrary to popular belief, that Noem was very effective across the board.
Perhaps the greatest DHS accomplishment under Noem was achieved by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which recorded the lowest border-crossing totals in agency history.
Noem ended "catch-and-release," ordered consistent use of detention and removal, and sent a clear message that saw daily encounters dwindle by 95%.
CBP also increased its seizures of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other narcotics by 8% over the final Joe Biden year – totaling over 600,000 pounds.
Between self-deporting and joint ICE-CBP operations in multiple U.S. cities, DHS under Noem saw more than three million illegal aliens leave the U.S. – three-fourths of them voluntarily.
Included in those numbers were nearly 50,000 "special interest" aliens and thousands of known or suspected terrorists.
DHS under Noem also began executing a plan for a more comprehensive border security strategy that includes constructing modern infrastructure, advanced technology, and increased law enforcement staffing to counter transnational criminal organizations (the same ones Shield of the Americas is designed to eradicate).
Perhaps closest to her heart was the recovery of 145,000 children the Biden administration had lost track of – many of whom had been sexually or physically abused.
Also, during her tenure, the now-shuttered Transportation Security Administration (TSA) detected tens of millions of dollars being flown to foreign locations, ended the no-shoes policy for airport departures, and ended the Obama-era "Quiet Skies" program used largely to spy on Americans.
Currently unpaid Coast Guard personnel seized a record-setting 547,000 pounds of illegal narcotics worth more than $3.9 billion during her tenure, saved over 5,200 lives, and protected more than a billion dollars in property.
Noem also oversaw record-setting Coast Guard recruitment – a key to both interdiction of illegal border crossers and enabling the safe movement of billions of tons of cargo – and the projected $5.4 trillion in goods during 2026.
Noem's DHS World Cup Coordination Office is gearing up to secure all aspects of the 2026 FIFA World Cup activities, including the safety of the fans and players, the matches, and other events.
FEMA, whose employees are also working without pay, executed the fastest non-disaster grant program in its history via the FIFA World Cup Grant Program.
The beleaguered agency, whose employees under Biden were accused of selectively not helping some disaster victims, has stepped up under this administration its aid to victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
In just the past year, FEMA has responded to 41 major disaster declarations, including the July 4 Texas flood, and evaluated its grant programs to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.
Results include terminating 118 bad contracts, accelerating state-led recovery funding to get money to victims faster, and preventing up to $1.3 billion in external fraud, to name a few.
Under Kristi Noem, DHS agencies ultimately cut through bureaucratic fog to improve their performance for the American people, endured abuse and even violence from paid agitators in the process, all while removing dangerous criminals from America's streets - and they still managed to upgrade relations with Latin American heads of state.
Oh, about that $143 million Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., claimed was paid "to the husband of your press person" to promote DHS/ICE activities (against an unending onslaught of venom spewed by media and politicians)?
Safe America Media LLC hired the Strategy Group for Media as a subcontractor for video and audio production for the “Stronger Borders, Stronger America” campaign – and paid "the husband" just $226,137.17 for his company's work.
Kristi Noem should prove to be an excellent choice as envoy for Shield of the Americas.
Duggan Flanakin is a senior policy analyst at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow who writes on a wide variety of public policy issues. Read more Duggan Flanakin Insider articles — Click Here Now.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.