SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, now acting as Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been drawing more national attention to a social media video touting the Trump administration’s actions aimed at stopping illegal immigration.
While highlighting her tour of the El Salvadoran Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), Noem posted a video and photos on social media. In her video, Noem stood in front of locked-up prisoners — Venezuelans removed from the U.S., claimed as alleged gang members by the Trump administration.
If an immigrant comes to the country illegally, “this is one of the consequences you could face,” said Noem in the video posted on Wednesday.
Noem announced her campaign against illegal immigration back in February. For the past week, Noem traveled nationally and internationally, declaring immigration as one of the main issues she’ll tackle in Homeland Security.
While supporters praise Noem for her campaign, such as the White House account on X, others disapprove of Noem’s message in her video from March 26, on the basis of its appearance and the message it sends.
According to an Associated Press report, Noem didn’t answer questions about if the Venezuelan deportees were going to be in prison indefinitely and if the Venezuelans could ever be brought back to the U.S. if a court ordered the administration to do so.
“We’re going to let the courts play out,” Noem told reporters according to the AP story.
Back in Noem’s home state, the South Dakota Democratic Party dismissed Noem’s latest social media video from the El Salvador prison.
“The Trump administration needs to stop wasting taxpayer money on propaganda and work with Congress on real solutions,” said Dan Ahlers, Executive Director of the South Dakota Democratic Party.
KELOLAND News reached out to the DHS about the backlash to Noem’s video. This story will be updated with the DHS’ response once its available.
Poses by Prisoners
In March, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows the president to deport immigrants without seeing an immigration or federal court judge. The president claimed that the U.S. has been invaded by the Tren de Aragua gang, prompting the deportation of the Venezuelan prisoners.
“Noem’s videos and commercials are really nothing more than political posturing,” said Ahlers. “We know these methods do not detour real criminal element from coming into this country. Recent interviews with cartel members done by CBS and other news organizations verify that it will not stop them.”
Admiral Mike Franken, an Iowa veteran who lost the U.S. Senate general election as the Democratic nominee in 2022, claimed on an X post that Noem broke international law for her “pose with prisoners.”
“The first three Geneva Conventions dealt with combatants. The 4th with civilian prisoners,” commented Franken. “They are either combatants in MAGA minds or civilians without due process. Geneva signatory is germane.”
Under the X thread, many comments argued that the men shown in Noem’s video are not prisoners of war, and therefore not subject to the Geneva Convention.
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 is a series of international laws by the International Committee of the Red Cross, providing humanitarian protections for civilians in a war zone. There are four Geneva Conventions, according to the Red Cross, along with additional protocols.
The Trump administration hasn’t made any comment on the Geneva Conventions’ relation to Noem’s video or the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
$50,000 accessories
After a multi-user, internet investigation into Noem’s eye-catching watch, the Washington Post confirmed Noem wore an 18-karat gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. On the Rolex website, the value for the watch sits near $50,000.
On the video’s X thread, many comments claim that the watch is too distracting to look at and promotes political posturing.
According to the Washington Post article, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the Rolex watch in a statement, saying that “Noem chose to use the proceeds from her New York Times best-selling books to purchase an item she could wear and one day pass down to her children.”
The South Dakota Republican Party bought thousands of dollars of copies of Noem’s book.
John Wiik, the then chair of the SD Republican Party in May 2024, told KELOLAND News the $17,523 was spent on 1,000 copies of Noem’s book, “No Going Back,” which was released on May 7.
Wiik said these books were given out to attendees at the party’s convention in early June.
Glitches and Skips in Video
When Noem posted her video on X, many comments pointed out specific oddities in the 0:18 time mark of the video.
One comment by X user Walt Wang claimed the video is “digitally manipulated.” He says that prisoners moved between frames at the 0:18 mark and “the background appears to have been added with SFX.”
Comments from other users allude to the use of green screens or special effects.
The Associated Press recorded Noem creating the video while on tour on March 26, showing no green screen or use of special effects behind her.
