Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requested a lengthy, two-hour meeting with President Trump on Monday night after she was reportedly pushed aside amid backlash over her handling of the latest fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents. Several administration officials attended the meeting, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Communications Director Steven Cheung.
This came after Trump said he would deploy Tom Homan to Minneapolis to meet with Mayor Jacob Frey and manage federal immigration enforcement operations, sparking questions about the president's confidence in Noem's ability to handle the situation.
However, according to The New York Times, Trump did not indicate that Noem’s job was in jeopardy during the meeting.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded a roughly two-hour Oval Office meeting with President Trump late Monday after being sidelined due to backlash over a deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/VPO4mI0zxT
— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) January 27, 2026
Secretary Noem, in the immediate aftermath of the deadly shooting, was quick to label Pretti as a "domestic terrorist," after she said he was seen approaching agents with a firearm, "violently resisted" disarmament efforts, and intended to "inflict maximum damage" or "kill law enforcement."
The meeting comes as the Trump administration is considering altering how it carries out enforcement operations across the country.
Two distinct factions have reportedly emerged within the Trump administration: Border Czar Tom Homan and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on one side, and Secretary Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski on the other. Homan’s camp wants to focus more on arresting violent, illegal immigrant criminals and has reportedly opposed some of Noem’s more theatrical tactics in blue states.
On Monday, the administration reportedly relieved Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino of his operational duties. Bovino, who had been in Minneapolis, is set to return to the El Centro sector on the California border. A known ally of Noem and critic of Homan’s approach to immigration enforcement, Bovino was also locked out of his official social media accounts.