Strained Relations Between Homeland Security Secretary Noem and U.S. Coast Guard
TL/DR –
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s relationship with U.S. Coast Guard officials has become strained due to decisions she made, including directing Coast Guard resources from a search and rescue mission to find a missing service member to immigrant deportation flights. This decision has led to a tenfold increase in the use of the Coast Guard’s aircraft for deportations, straining its resources and causing tension between Noem and senior Coast Guard officials. The new orders have moved search and rescue operations, which have long been the Coast Guard’s core mission, to a lower priority, counternarcotics efforts and Coast Guard training are now prioritized above search and rescue operations.
Homeland Security Head Strains Relationship with US Coast Guard
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has caused tension with U.S. Coast Guard officials during her first year in office, as per Coast Guard officials and U.S. officials. Her approach, which included a directive to repurpose Coast Guard resources, has met resistance from the officials.
While some lower-ranking Coast Guard members motivate Noem’s hands-on style, senior officials feel it detracts from traditional missions. This discord has been exacerbated by Noem’s decision to vastly increase the use of Coast Guard aircraft for immigrant deportations, straining resources, according to ICE Flight Monitor data.
Noem’s focus on deportations seems set to further disrupt Coast Guard operations, based on recent directives issued to Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento. According to U.S. officials, the station is prioritizing the transportation of detained immigrants within the U.S., giving lower priority to search and rescue operations.
This conflict reveals a lesser-known aspect of the fallout from President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy. Coast Guard officials have privately expressed concerns about Noem’s directives and the appropriation of Coast Guard resources for Trump administration priorities. In some cases, these tensions led to confrontations, with incidents such as Noem’s top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, threatening to fire Coast Guard flight staff for leaving behind a personal item of Noem’s – a heated blanket.
DHS denied the prioritization of immigrant transport over search and rescue operations at Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento. They insist that all operations and mission requirements are carefully balanced. They also denied the premise of this story, attributing the reports to a “politicized deep state effort to undermine President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda”.
A former Republican governor of South Dakota, Noem assumed her role with a mandate from Trump to conduct a mass deportation campaign. This focus was evident in her nomination process and continues to be a critical part of her role.
Noem’s management of the department has drawn criticism from some Democrats who initially voted for her confirmation. Senators Tim Kaine and Andy Kim expressed regret for their votes, telling NBC News last June that they regretted supporting her confirmation.
Noem’s leadership has been controversial from the start. She notably evicted the newly fired commandant, Linda Fagan, from housing at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling with only three hours’ notice, a move that was reported by NBC News.
Another contentious issue is Noem’s decision to replace the traditional Coast Guard aircraft used by homeland security secretaries with two new $170 million Gulfstream jets. This was viewed as an unnecessary expense by some Coast Guard officials. However, Noem defended the purchase, saying it was needed for Coast Guard missions.
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