Kristi Noem, serving as top security official, claimed on the weekend that the individual in the National Guard incident in Washington DC was radicalized within the United States and pointed fingers at the current government, despite the fact that the suspect's refugee status was approved under the previous administration.
Case Details of the Alleged Attacker
The shooting suspect, in his late twenties the person in question, was awarded asylum under the Trump administration in spring 2025. He had worked with US-supported forces in the Middle Eastern nation, arriving in the US in September 2021 under an Operation Allies Welcome.
“We believe extremism took hold after arriving here in this country,” Noem said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “We do believe the influence came from connections in his home community and state, efforts will persist to interview his contacts, who were his family members, who talk to them.”
Administrative Reactions and Immigration Scrutiny
The former leadership used the event as justification to halt and review immigration petitions.
The secretary claimed “vetting is happening when they come into the country, and that was completely abandoned by the current government”.
“Relevant screening data was collected by Joe Biden’s administration,” said Noem. “The vetting process were conducted under Joe Biden’s administration.”
Removal Flights and Judicial Disputes
Noem also denied that she defied a court directive when she authorized removal operations to El Salvador to proceed, instead blaming “activist” and “radical” judges.
These remarks were prompted by inquiries on NBC’s Meet the Press on the weekend about whether she was responsible to proceed with the removal operations for Venezuelan immigrants earlier this year, as the Department of Justice has alleged.
“Our efforts will persist acting appropriately, continue to work safeguarding citizens, no matter what activist judicial figure comes out attempting to hinder progress,” Noem said.
Noem also was featured on ABC’s This Week on the weekend, where she confirmed the operations were under her authority.
“Yes, I made that decision as it fell within my jurisdiction in compliance with regulations and legal framework under presidential guidance focused on removing high-risk individuals and gangs and cartels from the nation,” the secretary said. “This is an activist judge and it is clear, as noted, legal proceedings continue challenging this judicial intervention who’s continuously tried to block our efforts ensuring public safety.”
Legal Claims and Compliance Investigation
The Department of Justice claimed the action did not violate the judge’s order. US district Judge James Boasberg in Washington DC had ordered deportation flights already in the air return to the US in spring 2025, but the secretary instructed flights underway transporting migrants to El Salvador proceed, with the legal agency claiming the detainees were no longer in US territory.
Boasberg has been subject to a compliance investigation into whether the Trump administration defied his spring judicial directive.
