Posted by Alumni from The Atlantic
March 23, 2026
Kristi Noem is out as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; Markwayne Mullin appears to be on his way in. The switch is cosmetic: The problem with DHS isn't Noem or Mullin or whoever else will run it. The problem is with the agency itself. But more troubling is that, under Donald Trump, ICE and Border Patrol have become rogue agencies, accused of unnecessary violence and disregard for the rule of law. In January alone, ICE violated more court orders than most federal agencies violate in their entire existence, according to a federal judge in Minnesota. ICE has also adopted what appears to be a blatantly unconstitutional search policy. Meanwhile, more than 40 people have died in ICE custody since the start of Trump's second term. The answer to such abuses is not reform; it is wholesale disassembly and restructuring. I was at DHS almost from the start. I served as the first deputy assistant secretary for policy under DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and President George W.... learn more