Chaos is mounting inside the Department of Homeland Security as rising tensions over Trump’s deportation agenda have sparked internal finger-pointing and threatened to derail top leadership, with officials even fearing their emails and messages are being monitored, according to a new NBC News exclusive.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her top advisor, Corey Lewandowski, have reportedly pinned blame on subordinates for falling short of White House deportation goals. Acting ICE Director Todd Lloyd and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott have found themselves at the center of criticism, with Scott expressing concern to colleagues that Lewandowski may be monitoring his emails.
“Everyone in leadership is so worried about what they say in email and text,” one DHS official told NBC News.
The pressure at DHS comes as deportation numbers lag far behind administration targets, leading to “rising tensions and finger-pointing” inside the department.
“The two DHS officials said Scott has been left out of conversations about Border Patrol operations in major U.S. cities as well as social gatherings that have included other top DHS leaders,” NBC News reported Friday. “DHS leaders also have told Scott he may soon be out of a job, the officials said, despite record-low border numbers during his tenure.”
Despite the turmoil, the White House praised Noem. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the president’s agenda…the results speak for themselves — the border is secure, and deportations continue to increase.”
But internal rumblings remain. Sources told NBC News that Noem’s deputy, Troy Edgar, may soon be reassigned as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, further reshuffling the department’s upper ranks.
ICE is currently arresting fewer than 1,000 people per day on average, far below the 3,000 daily goal set by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller in May, according to NBC News.
