‘We're happy to see her go’: LA officials and community leaders react to Noem’s firing

Elected officials and pro-immigration leaders are reacting to President Donald Trump’s firing of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, whose leadership has led to unprecedented detention and deportation efforts across the country since January 2025.

One of the most affected communities in Los Angeles has been Southeast L.A. (SELA), where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids happened nearly every day, impacting dozens of families. 

Huntington Park Councilman Arturo Flores was mayor when ICE and other federal agents caused chaos in the city. He said Huntington Park was severely affected by Noem’s actions.

“You were talking about using shaped charges to blow up windows and doors… accusations as simple as government damage to government property,” he said. “Homeland Security under her tenure was very violent, very reckless and so we're happy to see her go.” 

Bell Gardens Councilman Marco Barcena said Noem was posing as an ICE operation agent in SELA and enjoyed terrorizing local communities while promoting herself in the process.  

“She used fear tactics to harass hard working people, like her radio commercials urging immigrants to self-deport, which would play on Latino radio stations and I heard several times while eating at local Mexican food restaurants,” Barcena said. “Good riddance, but unfortunately I don't think her removal is intended to help or benefit our people, so let's keep our attention where it belongs: supporting and protecting our communities.”

Wilma Franco, executive director of the SELA Collaborative said Noem led with hatred, fear and a complete disregard for the law of this nation. 

“She utilized tax dollars to authorize the kidnapping and murdering of community members,” she said. “Her firing is past due and we must now call for a full investigation for the embezzlement of tax payer dollars and [she must be] prosecuted for the deaths of citizens and undocumented community members.”

Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) said this week’s congressional hearings showed how messy and corrupted Noem’s tenure was.

“For immigrant communities across the country, her leadership represented a dangerous escalation of policies that treated families and workers as targets rather than as human beings who contribute to and strengthen this nation,” Salas said. 

Reactions at state and national level

Noem’s termination comes after she allegedly abused her position to benefit herself while terrorizing immigrant communities. This week she was questioned by Congress about a $220 million advertising campaign where she was the main spokesperson and said Trump had signed off on the campaign. The president denied her comment.

California Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D54) said Noem’s firing was long overdue, adding that too many immigrants paid the price for her agenda. 

“Her tenure was defined by cruelty, chaos, and political theater that traumatized communities,” he said. “The American people deserve real leadership that protects our security without abandoning humanity.”

With an “Adios” and a message in English and Spanish, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Noem will be known as the most cruel and incompetent DHS secretary in history.

However, he said her firing is not enough and others such as Gregory Bovino, former U.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large, and Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for Policy, also “need to be held accountable for terrorizing and endangering the American people.”

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Noem has been a failure from the moment she took office and her termination has been a long time coming. 

The committee has been fighting to hold Noem and the Trump administration accountable for abusive immigration enforcement and violations of the Constitution.

“She oversaw abusive immigration raids that killed American citizens, misused hundreds of millions of dollars on her glam campaign, was responsible for countless violations of the Constitution, and more,” he said in a statement. “Oversight Democrats led the fight to hold her accountable and we will keep fighting for justice.”