DHS cancels most Noem-era contracts amid scrutiny and pressure

The Department of Homeland Security moved to cancel most pending contracts launched under former Secretary Kristi Noem, a broad rollback that put new scrutiny on how the agency spent money and chose vendors. The review reached only agreements that had not yet been signed, which made them easier to stop than finalized deals, but the decision still marked a sharp break from the contracting approach used during Noem’s tenure.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that the department had gone through contracts and canceled most of those still awaiting signature. Mullin also said he planned to restore longer training for federal immigration officers, reversing a Noem-era change that cut instruction during a hiring surge and raised bipartisan concerns about whether recruits were being prepared well enough for the job.

The contract unwind followed months of criticism from lawmakers and a watchdog review focused on awards that moved outside normal processes. One of the most contentious was a $220 million advertising campaign awarded to Republican-connected firms. Noem said at the time that the award was competitive and that political appointees were not involved, but the size and political ties of the deal kept it at the center of congressional scrutiny.

Mullin was pressed by Democrats on what he had done to reverse earlier decisions, and he said the Office of Inspector General had multiple active investigations, though he said he had not yet been briefed on the details. DHS said Mullin re-evaluated the contract process to ensure the department was serving taxpayers efficiently. The practical impact is likely to be felt most in pending awards, since contracts already finalized are much harder to unwind.

The review also underscores how much of the department’s work remains tied to the politics of immigration enforcement. Trump fired Noem in March as support for his immigration crackdown weakened and lawmakers from both parties raised concerns about large contracts awarded outside standard channels. By reversing the training cuts and freezing many pending deals, Mullin is trying to impose his own standards on an agency that sits at the center of the administration’s enforcement agenda and under constant pressure to prove it can spend carefully without disrupting frontline readiness.