Senior DHS Spokesperson Resigns Amid Controversy Over False Statements

A high-ranking Department of Homeland Security spokesperson who repeatedly made false claims about violent incidents involving federal immigration officers is stepping down, Politico reported Tuesday. Tricia McLaughlin, who served as DHS assistant secretary for public affairs for less than a year, became known for issuing combative and often factually questionable statements to the press.

McLaughlin’s departure comes as DHS faces intense bipartisan criticism following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers. Last month, both DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other senior officials faced significant backlash for their defense of these incidents.

As the day-to-day voice of DHS in press communications, McLaughlin developed a reputation for statements that raised concerns among journalists and watchdogs. Her quotes frequently contained attacks on media outlets and made accusations that were later contradicted by video evidence or dismissed in court proceedings.

The Washington Post noted in its coverage of McLaughlin’s resignation that “her forceful pronouncements have drawn criticism from Democrats and immigrant rights groups, who point to incidents in which statements she made were later contradicted in court or in video footage recorded by witnesses.” Reason magazine took a more direct approach in October with a headline declaring: “Homeland Security Won’t Stop Lying About Who Immigration Enforcers Are Arresting.”

One recent case involved McLaughlin’s claim that a Venezuelan immigrant had “mercilessly beat” a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis. Federal prosecutors later dropped charges against the man, stating in court filings that “newly discovered evidence” was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” made by the officers.

Similar patterns emerged following the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti in Minneapolis this January. McLaughlin characterized Good’s actions as having “weaponized her vehicle” in an “act of domestic terrorism.” Regarding Pretti, she told media outlets he had “violently resisted” officers and described the situation as one where “an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Perhaps the most troubling case involved Marimar Martinez, a Chicago woman shot five times by a Border Patrol officer in October. On the day of the shooting, DHS issued a press release with a statement from McLaughlin claiming Martinez had “rammed” a Border Patrol vehicle and attempted to run over an officer, forcing defensive gunfire. A subsequent press release labeled Martinez and another person in her car as “domestic terrorists.”

The narrative completely unraveled when federal prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss charges against Martinez after reviewing video evidence. This body camera footage, unsealed this month at Martinez’s request, revealed the Border Patrol officer had intentionally swerved into her car—directly contradicting McLaughlin’s official account.

In another incident reported by Reason magazine, DHS attributed a statement to McLaughlin claiming a Chicago TV news producer “threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer.” Bystander videos contradicted this sequence of events, and the woman was never charged with any crime.

Even when charges were dropped or video evidence exonerated individuals, DHS consistently refused to correct its previous statements. In Martinez’s case, U.S. District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis noted during a court hearing that the government had made “exceedingly public statements about a criminal defendant, who under our American system of justice is presumed innocent,” while making “no efforts to equally publicize the fact that they abandoned the opportunity to convict her.”

For government officials to make false statements about U.S. citizens subjected to state violence represents a serious breach of public trust. As DHS searches for McLaughlin’s replacement, observers will be watching closely to see if the department shifts toward greater accuracy and accountability in its public communications.