Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed Michigan Republicans at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Friday evening, September 19, focusing on deportation policies and calling for party unity following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Noem urged Michigan Republicans to unite in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death, describing the assassination as a "sea change" for the country. Kirk, a right-wing activist who promoted President Donald Trump's message to younger audiences, was killed September 10 during an event at Utah State University.
"We can use this as an opportunity to have a unity in our country that we've never experienced, or at least we haven't felt in decades," Noem said.
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Kirk's assassination has prompted widespread condemnation and rallies in Michigan and nationally. Some Michigan Democrats report receiving threats following the death, while Trump has promised reprisals against the "radical left."
Security at the Mackinac Island conference was heightened compared to previous years.
Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad told reporters before the speech that he had never seen the Republican base more galvanized than following Kirk's death.
Democratic officials criticized Noem and other Republican leaders for appearing at the conference. "Republicans are actively making your lives harder and more expensive," Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said.
"We need to make sure that as we're making these big decisions and securing our country and getting criminals and illegal aliens and dangerous individuals out of our communities, that we're willing to go talk about and tell people…what we're doing, and why it's important to our future," Noem said.
Noem told the audience she was encouraged by preliminary results of her department's marketing strategy to encourage unauthorized immigrants to self-deport. She reiterated administration claims that 1.6 million people have chosen to leave the country rather than risk deportation.
The fact-checking website PolitiFact found this claim premature based on preliminary government data. The analysis noted a likely decrease in unauthorized immigrant population but determined initial data was based on a survey with a small sample size and large margin of error.
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Noem also claimed increased deportations have saved the country money, though preliminary research suggests potential costs. A Penn Wharton University of Pennsylvania analysis estimates that significant deportation investment could add billions to the federal budget deficit and reduce the nation's GDP.
Federal data shows 13,697 encounters between authorities and unauthorized immigrants at Michigan's border with Canada last year, representing a small fraction of the 2.9 million encounters reported nationally. Michigan border encounters decreased 46 per cent in the first five months of 2025.
The Trump administration has cited drug trafficking at northern and southern borders as motivation for initial tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China.
Fentanyl crosses the US-Canada border in far smaller amounts compared to the US-Mexico border. Less than 1 per cent of fentanyl enters across the northern border, according to federal statistics, while almost 96 per cent was intercepted at the southwest border.
US Customs and Border Protection reported stopping 43 pounds of fentanyl from entering the US last fiscal year, while Canadian officials reported seizing 14 pounds of fentanyl at the US border, according to the Detroit News. In contrast, approximately 9,200 pounds of fentanyl overall were seized in the US from October to August.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency, housed under Noem's agency, limited federal aid to state and local governments, tribal governments and certain nonprofit organizations. The agency prevented residents and utilities impacted by the storm from directly seeking government assistance, a decision Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is appealing.
Noem acknowledged the appeal but provided no update or indication whether FEMA would change course. She said Trump believes the agency needs reform to ensure when disasters occur, the federal government can "deploy the dollars as soon as possible to give those local leaders an opportunity to make sure that it is spent."
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Noem urged Michigan Republicans to unite in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death, describing the assassination as a "sea change" for the country. Kirk, a right-wing activist who promoted President Donald Trump's message to younger audiences, was killed September 10 during an event at Utah State University.
"We can use this as an opportunity to have a unity in our country that we've never experienced, or at least we haven't felt in decades," Noem said.
Also read: Indian national first to be deported from UK under new illegal migration scheme
Kirk's assassination has prompted widespread condemnation and rallies in Michigan and nationally. Some Michigan Democrats report receiving threats following the death, while Trump has promised reprisals against the "radical left."
Security at the Mackinac Island conference was heightened compared to previous years.
Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad told reporters before the speech that he had never seen the Republican base more galvanized than following Kirk's death.
Democratic officials criticized Noem and other Republican leaders for appearing at the conference. "Republicans are actively making your lives harder and more expensive," Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said.
Deportation strategy and self-deportation claims
During her speech, Noem highlighted the Trump administration's deportation tactics and increased law enforcement investment."We need to make sure that as we're making these big decisions and securing our country and getting criminals and illegal aliens and dangerous individuals out of our communities, that we're willing to go talk about and tell people…what we're doing, and why it's important to our future," Noem said.
Noem told the audience she was encouraged by preliminary results of her department's marketing strategy to encourage unauthorized immigrants to self-deport. She reiterated administration claims that 1.6 million people have chosen to leave the country rather than risk deportation.
The fact-checking website PolitiFact found this claim premature based on preliminary government data. The analysis noted a likely decrease in unauthorized immigrant population but determined initial data was based on a survey with a small sample size and large margin of error.
Also read: Immigration judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deportation to Syria or Algeria
Noem also claimed increased deportations have saved the country money, though preliminary research suggests potential costs. A Penn Wharton University of Pennsylvania analysis estimates that significant deportation investment could add billions to the federal budget deficit and reduce the nation's GDP.
Northern border security focus
When asked about US-Canada border work, Noem reiterated her agency's intention to increase security, citing "huge Coast Guard investments" to prevent Great Lakes border crossings.Federal data shows 13,697 encounters between authorities and unauthorized immigrants at Michigan's border with Canada last year, representing a small fraction of the 2.9 million encounters reported nationally. Michigan border encounters decreased 46 per cent in the first five months of 2025.
The Trump administration has cited drug trafficking at northern and southern borders as motivation for initial tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China.
Fentanyl crosses the US-Canada border in far smaller amounts compared to the US-Mexico border. Less than 1 per cent of fentanyl enters across the northern border, according to federal statistics, while almost 96 per cent was intercepted at the southwest border.
US Customs and Border Protection reported stopping 43 pounds of fentanyl from entering the US last fiscal year, while Canadian officials reported seizing 14 pounds of fentanyl at the US border, according to the Detroit News. In contrast, approximately 9,200 pounds of fentanyl overall were seized in the US from October to August.
Ice storm aid response
Noem addressed questions about aid for households impacted by the ice storm that affected northern Michigan months ago.Also read: Fake Pakistan football team in official green kits deported from Japan
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, housed under Noem's agency, limited federal aid to state and local governments, tribal governments and certain nonprofit organizations. The agency prevented residents and utilities impacted by the storm from directly seeking government assistance, a decision Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is appealing.
Noem acknowledged the appeal but provided no update or indication whether FEMA would change course. She said Trump believes the agency needs reform to ensure when disasters occur, the federal government can "deploy the dollars as soon as possible to give those local leaders an opportunity to make sure that it is spent."
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