Relations between Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the U.S. Coast Guard’s top brass have soured, according to a new report, driven largely by her emphasis on migrant deportations over other duties.
The tensions first surfaced last February, shortly after Noem’s Senate confirmation. On February 4, a 23-year-old servicemember fell overboard in the Pacific Ocean, prompting a massive search-and-rescue operation. Hours into the search, Noem ordered Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday to bring a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft back to the US for a deportation flight, though the aircraft ultimately remained on search duty after alternative planes were found.
Under Noem’s direction, Coast Guard planes are now used for deportations at ten times the previous rate, straining resources. Fresh directives for Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento prioritise C-27s for migrant transport, with counternarcotics missions ranking above search-and-rescue. One former official described a cultural shift: “The number one stated mission of the Coast Guard is border security.”
In May, Noem’s adviser Corey Lewandowski reportedly threatened to fire staff on a Coast Guard aircraft after it departed without her heated blanket. A former official noted an atmosphere of “keep your head down; you don’t want to be on the firing line.”
A DHS spokesperson disputed many aspects of the report, calling claims that migrant transport was prioritised over search-and-rescue “ridiculous.” The spokesperson added: “These attacks are nothing more than a politicised deep state effort to undermine President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.”
