One of the Trump administration’s most aggressive public defenders on immigration is heading out the door.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is expected to step down from the Department of Homeland Security next week, according to two DHS officials familiar with the move. McLaughlin has not publicly commented, but her departure comes at a pivotal moment for the department.
Over the past year, McLaughlin became one of the most visible faces of the administration’s hardline immigration agenda. During contentious enforcement operations in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, she was everywhere, cable news, podcasts, social media, pushing back forcefully against critics and framing the administration’s policies as necessary for public safety.
At times, she was logging as many as five television appearances a day, appearing on Fox News, CNN, CBS, NPR, Newsmax, and more. “Media is so much of the battle, so to speak, on the immigration issue,” McLaughlin told the Cincinnati Enquirer last month. “So much of the debate is a PR war.”
That PR war has not been gentle.
Her departure comes as DHS faces a funding lapse while Republicans and Democrats spar over potential changes to ICE and Customs and Border Protection. Immigration remains one of the most polarizing issues in Washington, and communications strategy has been central to the fight.
Behind the scenes, tensions have reportedly simmered. DHS has weathered criticism over its handling of high profile fatal shootings, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. President Trump’s decision to tap border czar Tom Homan to oversee operations in Minneapolis was viewed by some as a sign that the White House wanted tighter operational control during a turbulent period.
McLaughlin had reportedly been preparing to leave since December but postponed her exit following those shootings. Colleagues say the pace and intensity of the role took a toll.
Her résumé reflects deep ties to the Trump orbit. Before joining DHS, she served under Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and later worked at the State Department on arms control issues. She was also a communications aide to Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 presidential campaign and previously worked for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
What comes next is unclear. When asked whether she might one day run for office in her home state of Ohio, McLaughlin said she “wouldn’t rule anything out.”
For now, DHS loses one of its most combative communicators at a time when immigration remains front and center. In an administration where messaging is often as important as policy, that is no small shift.