Trump Fires 'Cosplay Barbie' from DHS

There are changes at the top of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It will no longer be led by the scandal-prone Kristi Noem (in post from January 2025 to 5th March 2026). Within it, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), is the primary U.S. federal agency responsible for investigating the illicit trade in cultural property, art, and antiquities. During Noem's tenure as the 8th Secretary of Homeland Security, she oversaw Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which includes HSI. HSI operates the Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities (CPAA) program, which focuses on identifying and repatriating stolen or looted cultural heritage.

While Noem's public priorities heavily emphasized immigration enforcement, border security, and dismantling human trafficking and drug smuggling networks, HSI continued its long-standing mandate to target transnational criminal organizations involved in diverse forms of illicit trade, including antiquities.

Noem was removed from her position as Secretary on March 5, 2026 (together with Corey Lewandowski - whose Polish-origin name most journalists had extreme difficulty prononuncing properly, former Trump campaign manager and latterly powerful "special government employee" (SGE) and de facto chief of staff to Noem). President Trump has nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin to succeed her (Noem reportedly has been appointed to a new role as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas" where she will no dounbbt find much scope to continue the cosplay activities for which she gained notoriety). Mullin is of Native American origin, he is a member of the Cherokee Nation.