The relationship between Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Coast Guard officials has become strained during her first year in leadership, according to multiple U.S. officials and former Coast Guard personnel.
Deepening Tensions: Secretary Noem and the U.S. Coast Guard
Tensions stem from early decisions by Secretary Noem, creating a perception of shifting priorities within the Coast Guard.
One key point of contention includes a verbal directive to reallocate Coast Guard resources from a search-and-rescue mission to a migrant transportation flight.
Mission Priorities Under Scrutiny
The dynamic has worsened due to a tenfold increase in the use of Coast Guard aircraft for migrant deportations, which has strained the branch's limited resources. Data from ICE Flight Monitor, a non-profit group tracking deportation flights, supports this increase.
New guidance issued to Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, responsible for many deportation flights, designates the transport of detained immigrants within the U.S. as its first priority. This moved search-and-rescue operations, a traditional core mission, to a lower priority, with counternarcotics efforts and training prioritized above it.
Key Incidents Fueling Discontent
Several specific incidents have contributed to the growing strain:
-
Search and Rescue Diversion: In February 2025, after a 23-year-old Coast Guardsman went missing in the Pacific Ocean, Secretary Noem reportedly instructed Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday to pull a Coast Guard C-130 from the search-and-rescue mission to ensure it met a scheduled migrant flight. While the regional command found alternative aircraft, allowing the C-130 to rejoin the search after an hour, the incident left a negative impression.
This incident reflected a cultural clash over mission priorities among Coast Guard officials.
-
Lewandowski Confrontation: In a contentious incident in May, Corey Lewandowski, a top adviser to Secretary Noem, reportedly berated Coast Guard flight staff and threatened their jobs after a plane departed without one of the secretary's personal items, a heated blanket. When the pilot reportedly refused to turn the plane around, Lewandowski reportedly stated the pilot was relieved of duty, though he later relented.
-
Housing Eviction: Secretary Noem reportedly evicted former Commandant Linda Fagan from official housing at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling with three hours' notice in February. Noem later moved into the home. A DHS spokesperson stated Noem paid fair market value for temporary use.
-
Gulfstream Jet Purchase: Secretary Noem sought to replace the traditional Homeland Security secretary's Coast Guard aircraft with two new Gulfstream jets at a cost of $170 million. Some Coast Guard and DHS officials viewed this as an unnecessary expense. Democrats on House committees criticized the purchase, stating it prioritized comfort over mission aircraft. DHS defended the purchase as a long-needed update for mission readiness.
Official Responses and Underlying Concerns
-
DHS Denials: A DHS spokesperson denied guidance prioritizing immigrant transport over search-and-rescue, stating, "No such guidance was ordered." The spokesperson also dismissed claims of low morale as "armchair speculation" and stated that the focus on immigration is "nothing new or unusual." They characterized the reporting as a "politicized deep state effort."
-
Secretary Noem's Stance: Secretary Noem has defended her decisions, including the jet purchase, stating that Congress appropriated the funding and that the jets are essential for mission readiness. President Donald Trump has supported Noem, crediting her with border enforcement efforts despite calls for her resignation from some Democrats and Republicans.
-
Morale Concerns: Current and former Coast Guard officials have privately raised concerns.
One former official stated that under Noem's leadership, the primary mission has shifted from search-and-rescue to border security, causing a "cultural change" and "terrible" morale at headquarters.