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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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As Kristi Noem's tenure at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) comes to an end, aside from the criticism she has faced over immigration enforcement, she will likely be remembered for making herself a visible part of the Trump administration.
Throughout her time as Secretary of Homeland Security, Noem often met with federal agents and workers across the United States, often opting to don the uniforms of the agencies she was meeting, from TSA agents to Border Patrol to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Seemingly always within reach of an ICE cap or CBP jacket, Noem's decision to get into uniform drew some criticism and jokes from those who felt she wasn't taking the job seriously enough. But she also saw admiration from those working across DHS who had felt unsupported by previous secretaries.
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Straight Out on ICE Operations
Given President Donald Trump's promise of mass deportations, pressure was on Noem from day one last January to deliver results quickly. After her confirmation shortly after Inauguration Day, Noem was out in New York City on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid.
It was one of the first times the public got to see her in a DHS uniform, with an ICE baseball cap and stab-proof vest.
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The secretary also visited the U.S.-Mexico border several times, including the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California in March 2025. Once again, she donned the appropriate uniform, including a cap emblazoned with "CBP."
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Showing Her Rancher Roots
On at least two occasions, while on official business, Noem took the opportunity to get back to her South Dakota roots as a farmer and rancher by getting on horseback.
When visiting Argentina in July 2025, she went for a ride at Campo de Mayo military base. Then, in November, she joined Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa and his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, as they rode around an air base while the DHS secretary discussed potential plans to house federal agents in strategic locations in the country.
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Taking to the Water
In March 2025, Noem also joined members of the U.S. Coast Guard, which also falls under DHS, in San Diego. She immediately got stuck in driving the boat, once more donning full uniform rather than civilian garb, as part of a training exercise.
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Serving Americans Overseas
Some of Noem's media events included moments serving meals to or eating meals with U.S. federal agents and service personnel, once more in uniform.
On a visit to Bahrain in May 2025, Noem wore a camo baseball cap and green t-shirt as she served sailors and Coast Guardsmen.
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While in Panama, she wore a blue DHS button-down as she led prayers before eating with members of the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and DEA.
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The El Salvador Photo Op
After the Trump administration deported Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador's high-security CECOT prison, despite a court order, Noem visited the site in June, 2025. During the event, she spoke to the media in front of the large cells holding hundreds of men being held.
That decision was heavily criticized by human rights advocates and Democrats, with some calling the visit political theater.
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The Rifle Video
While not a photo, a video shared by Noem of her in tactical gear in Phoenix, Arizona, drew criticism in April last year. Not because of her outfit, but because of the way she was holding a rifle.
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego took to Instagram to point out that Noem should have been pointing the rifle down, instead of at the head of the agent next to her. The video resurfaced in recent months amid growing scrutiny of Noem's position.
The Face of Trump's Immigration Agenda
Wearing a MAGA hat in July, Noem walked alongside President Trump at the newly-opened Alligator Alcatraz detention site in Florida. The tour cemented Noem as the face of Trump's immigration agenda, despite other leading figures within the White House - Stephen Miller and border czar Tom Homan - also having a big hand in delivering on goals of mass deportations and tighter borders.
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Noem has also often appeared alongside the president for press conferences on DHS-related matters, including security for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, and appeared in videos at U.S. airports as part of the REAL ID implementation campaign, as well as a video some airports opted out of using: one blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown in the fall.
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Now, for Noem's nominated successor, Senator Markwayne Mullin, it remains to be seen whether he will be just as visible out in the field alongside the agents he oversees, should Congress greenlight his appointment.
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