Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced vocal opposition during a high-profile visit to San Diego on Thursday where she highlighted the Trump administration’s border security efforts amid looming department funding concerns.
Speaking at a federal building in Otay Mesa, Noem stood before a dramatic backdrop of seized narcotics, claiming the administration had intercepted 188,218 pounds of illicit drugs at the border. “We’re winning the fight against fentanyl,” Noem declared, while approximately 100 protesters gathered outside attempting to drown out her remarks with chants, whistles and bullhorns.
The visit comes at a critical moment, just days before a Saturday deadline for Congress to pass Department of Homeland Security funding to avoid a partial government shutdown. Democrats are demanding significant reforms to immigration enforcement agencies following recent controversies.
“The Democrat party has chosen to shut down the department that was created after 9/11,” Noem claimed during her 20-minute appearance. “This department was created recognizing that we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks and that the American homeland needs to be funded and focused on keeping us safe within our own borders.”
Noem was joined by Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, San Diego County Assistant Sheriff Ken Jones, and CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino. Banks, recently sworn in as chief, praised the administration’s approach, stating that under President Trump, the United States “has not released a single illegal alien in nine months.”
The secretary’s visit follows intense criticism over her defense of federal agents’ actions in Minneapolis last month, where two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed during protests. Hours before Noem’s San Diego appearance, Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, announced the federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis would “conclude.”
Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Clemente) dismissed Noem’s visit as political theater, stating it was deliberately scheduled when San Diego’s congressional delegation would be in Washington. “Noem doesn’t want to answer our questions because she doesn’t want to defend the indefensible,” Levin said.
The visit also comes amid growing concerns about conditions at the nearby Otay Mesa Detention Center, which currently holds about 1,500 people. Last week, Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) was denied entry to the facility despite a recent federal ruling blocking a DHS policy requiring advance notice for congressional visits.
“I’ve received so many complaints now, my office has, that again conditions are less than standard and getting people sick,” Vargas said. “And unfortunately, recently now, I’ve been receiving reports that they are putting people in cages like they used to.”
Among the protesters outside Noem’s press conference was Carolina Moran, who attended with her dog and 4-year-old daughter. “Nobody wants what’s happening,” Moran said regarding recent immigration enforcement. “We are a nation of immigrants.”
Despite the administration’s tough stance, unlawful migrant crossings across the southern border are near record lows. Drug seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in December 2025 were slightly lower than the previous year, with CBP reporting 39,200 pounds seized compared to 41,400 pounds in December 2024.
A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll indicates about two-thirds of Americans believe Immigration and Customs Enforcement has “gone too far” in its enforcement actions.
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