Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handpicked contractors to lead a $100 million campaign to recruit Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers instead of allowing competitive bidding for the jobs, according to three administration officials and internal communications reviewed by NBC News.
Typically, multiple companies are allowed to bid on a contract and officials who handle government procurement — not the leaders of departments — decide based on who can do the best job for the lowest price.
President Donald Trump announced in a social media post Thursday that Noem would leave office effective March 31. Her place in the administration became increasingly unstable following the killing of U.S. citizens during immigration operations in Minneapolis; her fraying relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard, the only branch of the military under her command; and her comments this week in a Congress hearing that rankled Trump.
The president said that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., would replace her. Trump said Noem would move to a new position, special envoy for "The Shield of the Americas."
In August, then-ICE deputy chief of staff Madison Sheahan threatened the job of an ICE employee for suggesting that the agency consider other contractors, according to internal communications. Sheahan said the contract award was “a decision made by the secretary,” according to internal communications.
Sheahan then called the employee to her office where he was yelled at for overriding Noem by suggesting the contract go to a company that was offering to do the work for a cheaper price, said an administration official who heard the conversation. The employee then acquiesced and agreed to award the contracts to the companies Noem chose, the three administration officials said.
The campaign was rolled out in the late fall and was aimed at hiring 10,000 new ICE officers by running TV ads in select markets, visiting hiring events, as well as marketing to gun owners and former members of the military.
In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said, “Decisions about the ICE recruitment campaign contract were made by the ICE Director’s office. This was the most efficient option to quickly turn around recruitment campaign to get patriotic Americans to sign up to help us remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from our communities.”
But the three administration officials said acting ICE Director Todd Lyons’ office was not involved in choosing the contractors for the recruitment campaign and maintained that the decision came from Noem.
The contract for the ICE recruitment campaign was awarded to People Who Think and Safe America Media, two firms that were previously awarded a $220 million ad campaign that encouraged immigrants to self-deport.
Noem was questioned by lawmakers this week over that $220 million ad campaign, and her response incensed Trump, NBC News has reported.
“The president approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked Noem on Tuesday.
“Yes sir, we went through the legal process,” Noem said. She went on to confirm two more times that the president had knowledge of her decision.
Trump told Reuters on Thursday said he never signed off on the campaign and didn’t know anything about it.
