Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Sunday that criminal organizations, including drug cartels and gangs, have placed bounties on the lives of U.S. immigration agents. Speaking on Fox & Friends Weekend, Noem described the threats as unprecedented, though she provided no evidence or details on how the administration obtained this intelligence.
“We have specific officers and agents that have bounties that have been put out on their heads,” Noem said during the interview. “It’s been $2,000 to kidnap them, $10,000 to kill them. They’ve released their pictures, they’ve sent them between their networks, and it’s an extremely dangerous situation.”
The secretary declined to name the groups responsible, referring only to “cartels,” “gangs” and “foreign terrorist organizations.” She did not disclose how DHS verified the claims.
In February, President Donald Trump designated several cartels and international crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and Los Zetas. Noem suggested these groups are targeting effective immigration officers to undermine ongoing federal operations.
Chicago shooting sparks new tensions
Noem’s comments came less than 24 hours after a violent encounter between immigration authorities and a Chicago woman escalated into gunfire. Federal immigration agents said the woman tried to ram them with her car and was armed with a semiautomatic weapon. Agents shot her, causing non-life-threatening injuries. She later drove herself to a hospital. One agent suffered minor injuries.
The shooting has added to a growing clash between the Trump administration and Illinois officials over aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago. In September, federal authorities launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” a wide-scale deportation effort. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has publicly opposed the raids and criticized reports of excessive force. Earlier incidents included the fatal shooting of a man by ICE in a Chicago suburb.
On Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the Chicago agents, calling the incident part of a larger battle against organized crime. “Secretary Noem has taken action to deploy additional resources to restore law and order. We will not allow domestic terrorists to attack our law enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “If you lay a hand on law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
National Guard dispute escalates
Governor Pritzker said the confrontation has now escalated into a federal-state standoff. On Saturday, he revealed that the Trump administration delivered an ultimatum: either Illinois call up 300 National Guard members to support federal immigration enforcement, or the administration would federalize them directly.
“It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will,” Pritzker said. “For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.”
The dispute highlights the intensifying conflict between the White House and Democratic governors over immigration crackdowns. With reports of bounties on immigration officers, rising violence in field operations, and the threat of military deployment in U.S. cities, the nation faces a volatile mix of law enforcement danger and political confrontation.
