Trump Border Czar Homan, DHS Chief Noem Barely Speaking Or Meeting: ‘Her And Tom Don’t Get Along’
Tensions inside the administration’s immigration apparatus have grown so sharp that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the president’s border chief, Tom Homan, now communicate only when absolutely necessary. Yet, despite the frayed relationship, a report from Axios on Thursday emphasized that neither is on the verge of being pushed out.
In private, the president has waved off concerns about their mutual hostility. “Kristi’s doing a great job,” he reportedly told an adviser, who then described the conversation to Axios. “Her and Tom don’t get along, but they’re doing great.”
Those familiar with the dynamics say this is exactly how the president operates. “Trump is like that,” one source explained. “He kind of likes people competing against each other. He thinks it makes the product better.”
Not everyone inside the West Wing is as charitable. Another adviser — openly disdainful of Noem — acknowledged that the president is satisfied with his team even if others aren’t. “He’s happy with his cabinet. Do I wish Kristi was gone? Absolutely. But that ain’t happening. At least, not that he’ll tell me.”
The exact catalyst of the Noem–Homan split remains murky. What is clear, according to Axios, is that longtime immigration officials have grown irritated with Noem’s management style and her prominence in promotional campaigns such as the CBP Home self-deportation app. Many career staffers have also been unsettled by the outsized role of her closest adviser, Corey Lewandowski — classified as a special government employee and therefore limited to 130 working days inside the administration.
Backers of Noem have their own grievances, accusing Homan of positioning himself as the public face of the crackdown through frequent Fox News hits and his habit of briefing reporters just outside the West Wing.
The internal clash intensified this fall when Fox News revealed a strategic divide within DHS. According to the outlet, Noem, Lewandowski, and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino were advocating large-scale sweeps of illegal aliens to increase deportation totals. By contrast, Homan and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons urged a more targeted mission aimed at offenders with criminal histories.
“ICE started off with the worst of the worst, knowing every target they are hitting, but since Border Patrol came to LA in June, we’ve lost our focus, going too hard, too fast, with limited prioritization,” a senior DHS official told Fox. “It’s getting numbers, but at what cost?”
Another official described the dueling strategies in stark terms: “ICE is arresting criminal aliens. They [Border Patrol] are hitting Home Depots and car washes.”
{Matzav.com}
