Trump Holds Oval Office Meeting With Kristi Noem Amid Minnesota Immigration Shakeup
President Donald Trump held a nearly two-hour meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday evening, signaling a high-level recalibration of immigration enforcement policy following the unrest in Minnesota.
The meeting, which took place in the Oval Office, was requested by Noem and included several top officials: senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Communications Director Steven Cheung. Trump reportedly did not indicate that Noem’s position was at risk, according to sources who spoke with The New York Times.
The conversation comes just hours after Trump dispatched immigration czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in response to mounting tensions and widespread backlash following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an armed Minneapolis resident who allegedly interfered with a federal immigration operation.
Behind the scenes, a divide has grown inside the administration over how to manage enforcement strategy. Noem and Lewandowski have pushed for a more aggressive, high-visibility approach, while Homan and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons favor focusing resources strictly on apprehending dangerous illegal aliens with criminal backgrounds.
That division came to a head Monday when Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino—who had reportedly sided with Noem—was quietly relieved of his national duties. Bovino had been overseeing immigration operations across the country but will now return to the El Centro sector along the southern border in California. CNN reported that Bovino was also locked out of his official social media accounts shortly after the move. He and other agents are expected to leave Minneapolis by Tuesday.
The shakeup followed Saturday’s shooting of Pretti, who was struck approximately ten times in five seconds by a Border Patrol agent. Video footage appears to show that Pretti may have been disarmed before he was shot, though an investigation is still underway.
Secretary Noem had described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” suggesting he brought a firearm to a federal operation with the intent to harm law enforcement. That comment sparked outrage even inside her own department.
“It was a horrible response,” one DHS official told The Daily Wire. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing.” Another official added that the department’s employees want a “more professional response, not memes and one-liners.”
Despite the internal criticism, the White House publicly reaffirmed its support for Noem.
“Secretary Noem will continue to lead the Department of Homeland Security with the full trust and confidence of the president,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. She clarified that Homan taking the lead in Minnesota was a tactical move and not a demotion of Noem’s authority.
“Tom Homan is uniquely positioned to drop everything and focus solely on Minnesota to solve the problems that have been created by the lack of cooperation from state and local officials,” Leavitt added.
The Trump administration has made clear that it will not back down from enforcing federal immigration law—even in states like Minnesota, where Democrat leaders have openly encouraged resistance. The Oval Office meeting signals a serious commitment to tightening operations, boosting coordination, and restoring order.