Tricia McLaughlin to Depart Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and an outspoken supporter of President Trump’s strict immigration policies, is set to leave her position next week, as confirmed by The Post.

McLaughlin has been in her role since President Trump took office in January and had started planning her exit in December. However, she decided to delay her departure following the recent shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Preti in Minneapolis, according to individuals familiar with her decision. It was first reported by Politico.

In a text about her leaving DHS, McLaughlin commented, “I’m not stepping down from the fight.”

Originally from Ohio, McLaughlin worked at the State Department during Trump’s first term, focusing on nuclear arms control. After Trump’s administration, she became the communications director for Governor Mike DeWine’s re-election campaign in 2022 and worked for Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Even with the ongoing debates surrounding DHS, sources indicated that her departure was amicable. One source remarked that she was leaving for “the same reason anyone would leave: It’s tough.” They added, “She did a great job,” emphasizing that she “wasn’t kicked out.”

Throughout her time at DHS, McLaughlin engaged with reporters and critics frequently on social media.

She focused on highlighting the high number of violent criminal illegal immigrants who were deported during Trump’s presidency.

On January 7, following Good’s shooting incident, McLaughlin took to social media to assert that “dangerous criminals, whether illegal aliens or American citizens, are turning their vehicles into weapons to attack ICE.”

She also claimed that Preti, who was shot by Border Patrol agents on January 24, had “violently resisted” immigration officials, alleging he aimed to “massacre law enforcement with maximum harm.” However, this claim was contradicted by video footage showing Preti being disarmed prior to being shot.

A significant portion of DHS faced closures starting Friday due to a stalemate in Congress regarding funding and Democrats’ calls for ICE reform.

While funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection has been secured through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed last year, a partial government shutdown has impacted funding for the Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA, and other agencies.

Moreover, McLaughlin’s resignation is rumored to be happening amidst increasing tensions between Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Protection Secretary Tom Homan regarding immigration enforcement approaches.