Senior DHS Official Fired Over Media Leaks as Court Backs Noem’s Authority
A senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection official has been fired following an internal Department of Homeland Security investigation that concluded the employee unlawfully disclosed sensitive information to the media, including private details about CBP personnel and internal deliberations tied to border wall negotiations.
The official, whose name has not been publicly released, was removed from their post at a Washington, D.C., office and escorted from the premises. DHS and CBP have so far declined to issue a formal public statement identifying the individual or detailing the full breadth of the investigation.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the leaks involved “sensitive, personal information about CBP personnel, as well as negotiations regarding the border wall.” Officials determined the disclosures posed potential safety risks to agents at a time when federal law enforcement is experiencing a dramatic rise in threats nationwide.
The termination highlights growing alarm within DHS over unauthorized disclosures, particularly as the Trump administration intensifies border enforcement and immigration control efforts. While some past incidents have involved whistleblower complaints or accidental data exposure, officials emphasized that this case centered on deliberate contact with the media in direct violation of agency rules.
Federal employees entrusted with restricted or sensitive—but unclassified—information are governed by strict statutory requirements and internal policies regulating data security and media communication. Breaches can result in penalties ranging from suspension to termination, with criminal referrals possible in more serious cases.
The firing comes amid sustained political and legal pressure on immigration and border agencies as President Donald J. Trump’s administration continues implementing policy reforms aimed at restoring border integrity and enforcing federal immigration law.
Separately, the administration secured a major legal victory Friday when a federal appeals court in San Francisco granted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem authority to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—widely viewed as one of the most liberal courts in the country—issued a stay halting a lower court ruling that had blocked Noem’s action. In its order, the panel found the administration was likely to prevail in demonstrating that DHS followed the law in terminating the TPS designations.
“The government is likely to prevail in its argument that the Secretary’s decision-making process in terminating TPS for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal was not arbitrary and capricious,” the court wrote.
The ruling overturns a December 2025 decision by a San Francisco district court that had sided with plaintiffs from the National TPS Alliance, temporarily preserving legal status for roughly 60,000 migrants who received TPS after natural disasters in their home countries.
Attorney General Pam Bondi applauded the appellate decision, calling it a significant victory for the administration’s immigration agenda. “This is a crucial legal win from @TheJusticeDept attorneys that helps clear the way for President Trump’s continued deportations,” Bondi said. “As the court found, the government is likely to prevail in its argument that ending Temporary Protected Status for some immigrants is sound and lawful policy.”
Secretary Noem’s decision followed a statutory review process assessing whether the original emergency conditions justifying TPS still existed. Nepal was designated after a 2015 earthquake, while Honduras and Nicaragua received protection following Hurricane Mitch in 1999. DHS determined last year that conditions in all three countries had sufficiently stabilized.
Noem’s spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, reiterated that the program “was always meant to be temporary.”
The Ninth Circuit panel—Judges Michael Hawkins, Consuelo Callahan, and Eric Miller—issued a divided opinion. Hawkins concurred with the outcome but urged caution in resolving the plaintiffs’ claims too broadly at this stage.
The decision clears a long-blocked path for DHS to resume deportations delayed for years by litigation and administrative extensions. It also reinforces the legal foundation for President Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, including recent operational changes such as the Minneapolis Operation Metro Surge drawdown and ongoing border security reforms under Noem’s leadership.