International What we know about Noem’s new ‘Shield of the Americas’ role by Ashleigh Fields - 03/05/26 4:08 PM ET by Ashleigh Fields - 03/05/26 4:08 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING President Trump on Thursday said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem would leave her role and be appointed as a special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, bringing her tumultuous tenure atop DHS to an end. Noem faced scrutiny and intense questioning about the fatal shooting deaths of two American citizens by federal immigration officers in Minnesota earlier this year. More recently, she was met with skepticism at a Senate hearing from Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who argued that a more than $200 million ad campaign she oversaw and appeared in for DHS was primarily “effective in your name recognition.” Trump’s Thursday announcement of her removal also comes as the country faces a partial government shutdown due to lawmakers’ refusal to fund the department until agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol get overhauled. While the soon-to-be former secretary will no longer head up immigration and other national security agencies under DHS, her work as for The Shield of the Americas will hit on a similar topics, including undocumented immigrants, transnational trafficking and border crossings.  Here’s what we know about the role: What is The Shield of the Americas? The regional coalition of countries in Latin America will work together on ideology and policy initiatives that help secure the Western Hemisphere, according to the White House. The Shield of the Americas will be be guided in part by the president’s foreign policy initiatives dubbed the “ Donroe Doctrine ,” fashioned after the Monroe Doctrine. The administration has described the doctrine as enlisting “established friends” in the Western Hemisphere to pursue U.S. aims, and expanding ties by “cultivating and strengthening new partners.” Since Trump returned to office last January, he has directed the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” plans to “take back” the Panama Canal, efforts to acquire Greenland and make Canada the 51st state.  A summit making the Shield of the Americas official is set to take place this weekend in Miami, and may largely focus on counterterrorism measures in the region as a group of Latin American leaders assemble on American soil.  What countries will Noem work with in this new role? Noem will work with foreign leaders in both North and South America. The Trump administration has maintained a heavy interest in connecting with Latin American leaders to combat human smuggling, drug trafficking and undocumented immigration.  Thirteen heads of Latin American countries are expected to be present at the Miami summit this weekend. Some notable names, according to the White House, include: Argentine President Javier Milei, Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele Ortez and Honduran President Nasry “Tito” Asfura.  When will Noem officially become special envoy for The Shield of the Americas? Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is expected to succeed Noem on March 31 but will need to be confirmed by the Senate. It’s unclear the exact date that Noem will depart her role as secretary. However, the president said additional details will be revealed at the Miami summit on Saturday.  The White House declined further comment when The Hill requested more information, pointing to Trump’s post. Noem wrote on social media that she looks forward to working in the role, but did not address her removal while speaking in Nashville at the Major Cities Conference earlier Thursday. “Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. @SecRubio and @SecWar are incredible leaders and I look forward to working with them closely to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren,” Noem wrote in a post on X. “The Western Hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. security. In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security,” she added.  Mullin said he was informed that he’d be tapped to lead DHS moments before the president formally announced the change in his Truth Social post. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) shared a Thursday statement commending the president on his decision to reassign Noem. “I appreciate Secretary Noem’s service to our country. She will do a great job dealing with the drug cartels in her new role as Special Envoy for The Shield of Americas, and I know she will continue to contribute in the future. However, I