WSJ: ICE Barbie’s Cosplaying Post Spoiled NYC Raid

The Huffington Post reports:

Kristi Noem’s fondness for photo-ops may be undermining her own agency’s mission, according to an array of government sources who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security’s frequent, often flashy appearances at border crossings and alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have made her a walking billboard for President Donald Trump’s deportation crackdown.

In one instance, sources told the Journal that Noem likely hampered a series of early morning raids in New York City by posting about the operation on social media while it was still underway. People familiar with the January effort claimed Noem’s post on X tipped off targets that ICE was in action, spoiling the element of surprise and resulting in “fewer arrests than officials had hoped for.”

Read the full article. The WSJ report is behind a paywall.

“Noem’s approach is rankling ICE officials, who grumble that her desire for publicity interfered with the operations of the agency she is in charge of running.” https://t.co/7dJAr4XTdN

— Alexander C. Kafka (@AlexanderKafka) April 15, 2025