A July 1 notice launched a DHS inspector general review of senior executive reassignments made between Jan. 25, 2025, and March 24, 2026, during Kristi Noem’s tenure, with fieldwork starting this month.
Hundreds of employees were reportedly ordered into new roles—sometimes hundreds of miles away and outside their expertise—to support the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, raising questions about whether the moves had a legitimate organizational purpose.
The review is expected to test whether DHS violated civil-service rules, including 120-day limits on involuntary career SES reassignments after new political appointees take over, and whether some moves were retaliation for whistleblowing or resisting allegedly illegal orders.
Office of Personnel Management data show DHS career SES staffing dropped to 513 in March 2026 from 723 in January 2025, while Democratic lawmakers and outside lawyers have separately challenged reassignments at FEMA, CISA and Customs and Border Protection.
Since Markwayne Mullin replaced Noem, many mandatory reassignments have reportedly been rescinded, suggesting the inquiry could shape how DHS justifies future personnel moves across the department.