US Homeland Security cancels most pending Noem-era contracts after review
By Ted Hesson and David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has canceled most of the pending contracts initiated under ousted Secretary Kristi Noem’s administration, the current secretary said on Wednesday, a move that follows congressional review and an internal watchdog review of contracting practices.
At a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee, Secretary Markwayne Mullin also said he would reintroduce longer training for federal immigration officers, reversing a Noem-era decision to shorten training during a hiring surge and sparking bipartisan concerns in Congress about whether recruits are adequately prepared.
Mullin faced questions from a top Democrat about what steps he was taking to roll back Noem-era contracts.
“We’re looking at contracts that haven’t already been signed, and we’ve reviewed and canceled most of those,” Mullin said.
The move is part of Mullin’s broader effort to loosen contracting practices that have drawn bipartisan criticism under Noem.
U.S. President Donald Trump fired Noem in March as public support for fighting immigration waned and lawmakers, including Republicans, raised concerns about major contracts being awarded outside standard contracting processes. In the days before her firing, Noem was grilled by lawmakers over a $220 million ad campaign given to Republican-affiliated firms.
Noem said the award was awarded through a competitive process and that no political appointments were involved.
Noem currently serves as special envoy for the Inter-American Shield coalition, created by the US State Department to combat transnational crime. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mullin said the department cannot simply terminate contracts that have already been completed. He said the Office of Inspector General has multiple active investigations, but he was not briefed on the details.
Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar said they met with the Inspector General’s office to discuss open contracts.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee’s top Democrat, said action is needed if there are problems.
“I think if you know something is being done wrong, then you have to stop it,” Thompson said.
In response to a request for comment, a DHS spokesperson said Mullin was “reevaluating DHS’s contracting processes to ensure it serves American taxpayers effectively.”
MULLIN TO RENEW ICE TRAINING, ADVOCATES JET USE
Mullin said the department will revise the 72-day training timeline for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, which was shortened under Noem to speed up deployments.
“The curriculum had to be rewritten,” Mullin said. “As of July 1, all training will return to normal standards.”
Mullin pushed back against Democrats’ criticism of ICE, including claims that Trump’s immigration policies are motivated by racism.
“Racism is a reckless term that is thrown around too often,” Mullin said. “They are following the law that Congress passed.”
Mullin also faced criticism for the Trump administration’s use of a pair of Gulfstream G700s and a Boeing 737 purchased during Noem’s tenure.
Pressing Democrat James Walkinshaw of Virginia to commit to selling the jets, Mullin said they were necessary, adding that he needed secure communications and could not fly commercially.
He said the 737 had been “transferred to the executive branch” but did not say which officials were using it.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson and David Shepardson; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
