Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE, has faced criticism from local Texas officials for the handling of severe July 4 holiday floods in the Hill Country. Publicly released city records, including emails and texts obtained by KSAT, suggest that Kerrville officials were unprepared for the disaster.
One exchange shows City Manager Dalton Rice joking about Noem hours before a July 5 press briefing: a staffer texted, “Just saw you met Homeland Barbie. How is she?” Rice responded, “Basically Homeland Barbie,” followed by laughter. Online, Noem has frequently been mocked with nicknames such as “ICE Barbie.”
Democrats have also scrutinized the federal response. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut claimed the Trump administration undermined FEMA’s preparedness by firing employees while flood victims sought assistance, though he did not directly blame Noem.
Noem defended the federal response in an interview on Fox News Sunday, stating that more than 700 FEMA personnel were deployed quickly and the Coast Guard was dispatched immediately after coordination with Texas officials.
The arrests by ICE and the handling of the Texas floods have sparked bipartisan attention, highlighting tensions over immigration enforcement and disaster management.
