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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, once hailed as a fearless enforcer of President Trump's immigration crackdown, now scrambles to salvage her credibility after federal agents gunned down yet another American citizen in Minneapolis.
Noem requested and received a nearly two-hour closed-door meeting with Trump in the Oval Office late Monday, sources briefed on the discussion told The New York Times.
The session followed Trump's announcement that border czar Tom Homan would assume oversight of Homeland Security operations in Minneapolis after Border Patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday.
Noem has drawn sharp criticism for labeling Pretti a "domestic terrorist" who "arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement" and for claiming he charged at officers while brandishing a gun.
Multiple videos of the incident show Pretti holding a cellphone while attempting to distance himself from agents.
Witnesses and forensic analyses indicate agents tackled him, removed his lawfully permitted firearm after he was pinned, then fired approximately 10 shots.
Trump dispatched Homan to manage the situation directly, prompting questions about confidence in Noem's leadership of the immigration enforcement effort.
Sources said Trump did not indicate during the meeting that Noem's position was in jeopardy.
Alex Pretti moments before he was shot and killed.
Separately, Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino and some agents were ordered to withdraw from Minnesota.
Bovino had claimed Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on X, "Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties," describing him as "a key part of the president’s team and a great American."
Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties. As @PressSec stated from the White House podium, @CMDROpAtLargeCA is a key part of the President’s team and a great American. https://t.co/qj3E9B8uzg
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 27, 2026
The administration continues to defend the agent's actions as self-defense while reviewing body-camera footage amid bipartisan calls for an independent investigation.
This fiasco lays bare the peril of aggressive tactics divorced from accountability: an American nurse dead, public trust shattered, and a Cabinet secretary fighting for her political life in the shadow of tragedy.
