Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security has quietly adjusted its immigration enforcement strategy after months of aggressive raids failed to win public support.
A new report by News Nation reveals that comprehensive immigration operations under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will now focus on specific targets instead of large-scale raids, marking a significant change from the administration’s earlier approach. This shift follows internal polling that showed the strategy was not resonating with voters, despite claims that it aimed to remove the “worst of the worst.”
With the updated tactics, federal agents will concentrate on pre-identified targets rather than conducting broad raids across neighborhoods or cities. Sources within DHS stated that this move intends to reduce collateral detentions and mitigate the political consequences that followed several high-profile mistakes.
For months, Noem’s department, with oversight from Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, relied heavily on large, publicized raids. These operations featured tough language and dramatic visuals meant to convey a strict stance on immigration. However, that messaging began to falter as reports revealed that the dragnet approach had also affected U.S. citizens, military veterans, and immigrants with little or no criminal records.
Several cases involving detained American citizens who were later released gained traction in the media, disputing the claim that enforcement was precise. Noem was confronted over military veterans being caught up in the crackdown, which won’t play well with the Trump base.
The pressure on Noem grew during her recent appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee. The hearing quickly became confrontational as Democratic lawmakers questioned her on DHS’s enforcement record and challenged her claims about who was targeted. Issues surrounding deported veterans and detained noncriminals dominated the discussion, leaving many wondering how much control she has over the crackdown.
🚨BREAKING: Rep. Dan Goldman just OBLITERATED Secretary Noem on live TV when he walked her right in a trap:
if immigrants with active asylum cases are here legally – isn’t deporting them is AGAINST the law? She couldn’t answer.
See you at your 2029 criminal trial, Kristi. pic.twitter.com/cylr2LSgo9
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) December 11, 2025
Outside Washington, polling painted a similarly troubling picture for DHS. Surveys indicated that most respondents believed the administration’s immigration enforcement had gone too far, with strong support for due process protections for undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Noem’s approval ratings and public sentiment toward ICE have also shown signs of strain amid the controversy.
The revised strategy suggests that DHS recognizes the sweeping raid model created more problems than benefits. While the department continues to defend its mission and insists it enforces the law, the quieter, more targeted approach represents a tactical retreat from enforcement theater that backfired.
Some may argue the damage is already done, pointing to disrupted families, shaken communities, and eroded trust. They warn that without clear safeguards, even targeted operations might repeat the same mistakes.
Focusing on specific targets can reduce errors and lower the risk of detaining individuals who should not have been targeted at all. This move as a course correction rather than a reversal, will likely work well with the anti-immigrant voters who want the focus to be on criminals.
There is no indication ICE is slowing down, but the shift may come with less sweeping, attention-grabbing operations. Perhaps even a different social media strategy, which has also been a point of conflict.
