Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin is set to leave the Trump administration next week. McLaughlin has been one of the administration’s most visible and vocal defenders of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, frequently responding to critics and defending high-profile enforcement actions.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the departure in a post on X, praising McLaughlin’s service.
“Tricia McLaughlin has served with exceptional dedication, tenacity, and professionalism as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security,” Noem wrote. “She has played an instrumental role in advancing our mission to secure the homeland and keep Americans safe. While we are sad to see her leave, we are grateful for her service and wish Tricia nothing but success.”
McLaughlin also announced her departure on X, expressing gratitude to President Trump and DHS leadership.
“I am enormously grateful to President Trump, Secretary Noem, and the American people for the honor and privilege to serve this great nation,” McLaughlin wrote. “I am immensely proud of the team we built and the historic accomplishments achieved by this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.”
She added that Lauren Bis, whom she described as “an extraordinary talent” who has been with her since the start of the Trump administration, will take over as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. Katie Zacharia will serve as Spokeswoman and Deputy Assistant Secretary.
According to a person briefed on her exit, McLaughlin had initially planned to leave as early as December but postponed her departure amid several high-profile DHS incidents, including the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month.
In the case of Renee Good, McLaughlin characterized the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism” and said an ICE officer fired “defensive shots” after a vehicle was allegedly used against law enforcement. Politico first reported that McLaughlin planned to depart DHS next week.
During her tenure, McLaughlin frequently defended the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement operations, including ICE actions in Minnesota and other states. She often cited data indicating increased assaults against federal immigration officers and pushed back forcefully against criticism from Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups.
In one exchange, she rejected claims from Senate Judiciary Democrats that 2025 had become the deadliest year in decades for immigrants in ICE custody, accusing them of “trying to twist data to smear ICE law enforcement” and stating there had been “NO spike in deaths.”
She also argued that individuals held in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care and a “higher standard of care” than most U.S. prisons.
As news of her departure circulated, McLaughlin posted a detailed defense of DHS’s use of Coast Guard aircraft in migrant transport operations.
She said the plane in question had been diverted for search-and-rescue efforts and accused critics of seeking to “politicize this mission and tragic loss of life.” Some critics had questioned whether Coast Guard resources were being used appropriately for immigration enforcement.
An Ohio native, McLaughlin previously served in the first Trump administration at the Treasury Department under then-Secretary Steven Mnuchin and at the State Department on arms control issues.
She also worked as political communications director for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and as a senior adviser on Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 Republican presidential campaign.
Her departure marks a significant transition within DHS communications as the administration continues to prioritize border security and interior enforcement operations. McLaughlin closed her announcement by writing, “I look forward to continuing the fight ahead.”