Kristi Noem, DHS Secretary | https://www.dhs.gov
On Tuesday, The Washington Times published an opinion piece by U.S. Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar titled "How Kristi Noem’s leadership saved America: Righting the fiscal ship after Biden." In the op-ed, Edgar outlines changes made at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Secretary Kristi Noem and the Trump administration, focusing on efforts to reduce wasteful spending.
Edgar claims that during President Joe Biden's term, DHS funds were used for purposes he describes as frivolous or ideological and not aligned with protecting Americans. He writes, "Did you know the Biden administration misspent at least $1 trillion on waste, fraud and abuse across the board? During that time, taxpayer dollars at the Department of Homeland Security were used to fund the invasion of our country, spent on frivolous contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars that did nothing to keep America safe."
He further states that upon taking office, Secretary Noem aimed to change DHS's culture regarding financial management. According to Edgar, "When Secretary Kristi Noem took the helm of the Homeland Security Department, her mission was to change the culture to ensure that U.S. taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars would not be wasted on unnecessary spending, corrupt contracts and other financial rubbish. Her results have been remarkable thus far (almost $13 billion saved), and she has achieved them while preparing the department to effectively steward the monumental resources to support our mission of securing the homeland, thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
Edgar also highlights his experience as chief financial officer during Trump's first term and his continued role in shaping fiscal policy within DHS: "As chief financial officer of the Homeland Security Department during the first Trump administration, I entered my new role as homeland security deputy secretary in Trump 2.0 with an understanding of the department’s financial and operational needs. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we crafted a plan that ends frivolous spending while ensuring that not one penny is wasted in our efforts to secure the homeland. This culture change placed a new level of accountability on our department to ensure taxpayer dollars were spent properly, and it couldn’t come sooner for the American people."
The op-ed references specific examples from previous years under President Biden's administration where Edgar alleges mismanagement occurred. He cites FEMA funding luxury hotels for undocumented immigrants in New York City: "One of the most egregious examples of this misspending was the administration’s use of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund luxury hotels for illegal aliens in New York City as Americans struggled to make ends meet. When Secretary Noem discovered that $59 million was about to be used for that purpose, she clawed back the money and fired the people responsible for it."
Edgar also discusses changes made by Secretary Noem regarding immigration technology: "Secretary Noem took President Biden’s CBP One app — a smartphone application launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and used to expedite the entry of illegal aliens into the U.S. — and reverse-engineered it for self-deportation."
According to Edgar's account, several agencies such as Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Secret Service, FEMA, and Coast Guard faced challenges during Biden's presidency.
He explains how funding under what he calls "the One Big Beautiful Bill Act" will be allocated within DHS: "$46 billion will be used to finish the wall so that our secured border can stay sealed... At the same time, we are expediting hiring efforts to the tune of $8 billion for 10,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and employees... The Coast Guard will receive $25 billion for aircraft, ships and support infrastructure..."
Edgar concludes by stating: "Under President Trump’s and Secretary Noem’s leadership, we have taken immediate action to address misuse of funds... As fiscal stewards of your resources, we are committed to delivering for the American people."
