Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is firing back at North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis after the Republican criticized the hundreds of millions of dollars DHS spent on advertising during her tenure. Noem says Tillis is ignoring the other side of the equation, arguing that immigrants leaving the country voluntarily saved taxpayers far more than her department spent promoting the policy.
The dispute has turned into another public fight between two Republicans who have repeatedly clashed over Noem’s leadership at DHS. This time, commenters largely focused on whether Tillis is fairly accounting for the cost of immigration enforcement, with some demanding that both sides put their numbers in front of the public.
Tillis renewed his criticism of Noem during an interview with 60 Minutes, pointing specifically to approximately $200 million spent on a DHS advertising campaign. The North Carolina senator said he was thinking about that spending when he became one of Noem’s most vocal Republican critics while she was still leading the department.
The advertising campaign promoted the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and encouraged people living in the United States illegally to leave voluntarily. Parts of the campaign featured Noem herself, including advertisements filmed at Mount Rushmore and other locations.
The spending had already attracted congressional scrutiny before Tillis brought it up again. Lawmakers investigating the campaign raised questions about its contracting process and production expenses, including a $143 million no-bid contract awarded to Safe America Media shortly after the company was incorporated.
Now, Noem is arguing that focusing exclusively on the price of advertisements ignores what she considers the financial benefits of the strategy. In her post on X, she writes, “Every deportation costs the American taxpayer about $18,000. As Secretary, I sent a clear message to anyone here illegally: leave voluntarily or face deportation. Millions chose to self-deport.
Under my leadership at DHS, encouraging self-deportation saved taxpayers over $40 billion and allowed law enforcement to pursue other dangerous criminals on our streets. That doesn’t even include the costs avoided when people decided not to enter our country illegally in the first place. Tillis complains about advertising costs but conveniently ignores the taxpayer’s savings.“
Comments and Reactions to Kristi Noem and Thom Tillis
Several commenters sided with Noem while arguing that the actual financial debate should include both the cost of deportations and whatever savings resulted from voluntary departures. “Kristi, the debate you are asking for is the right one. Put the full ledger on the table: what enforcement costs, what self-deportation saved, what the cut contracts were worth. Numbers in daylight settle arguments that talking points never can. Laws enforced, taxpayers respected, communities safer. Common sense is coming home. 29 days to Nov 3. AU17Q,” wrote one commenter.
Others directed their anger squarely at Tillis, with one commenter arguing that the senator should consider how much taxpayers spend supporting people while they remain in the country illegally. One commenter wrote, “This piece of [expletive] senator needs to be primaried out of office. He is a democrat pretending to be a republican. He works for Pelosi. He was thinking about all the money he got from Ukraine money laundering and how it’s cut off since Trump got in office.“
The overall reaction nevertheless shows how Tillis’ criticism has transformed a dispute over DHS advertising expenses into a much larger Republican argument over how the financial cost of immigration enforcement should actually be measured.
While the video continues to go viral on X, more and more people are using the comments section to share their frustrations and opinions.
