The ousted head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is joining NovaRed Mining Inc. in an advisory role
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The fiery former head of the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Homeland Security has taken on an advisory role with NovaRed Mining, a Vancouver critical-minerals exploration company.
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In a statement released Tuesday, NovaRed said Kristi Noem is joining the company as a strategic adviser in its “mission of acquiring and advancing critical-mineral exploration opportunities through its artificial intelligence-enhanced technology platform.”
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“Kristi brings exceptional leadership experience and a deep understanding of the policy, regulatory and economic factors that influence infrastructure investment, resource development and long-term economic growth,” said Brian Goss, the CEO of NovaRed Mining. “Her perspective and experience working across government and industry will be valuable as NovaRed advances its corporate development strategy and evaluates new opportunities.”
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Noem was the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security during a controversial immigration crackdown and drew widespread condemnation when she called two people killed by federal agents “domestic terrorists.” Her tenure was marked by leadership scandals in the department and violent confrontations in major U.S. cities between protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
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But it was ultimately a pricey advertising campaign in which she posed atop a horse in western gear in front of Mount Rushmore that was her undoing. Noem claimed U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on spending $220 million on the campaign, and that was the last straw after the string of other controversies. She was dumped from Trump’s cabinet in March.
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Working with a B.C.-based mining company — even one with several principals who have cross-border connections — could be seen as a surprising development given Noem’s provocative statements about Canada during her tenure. They include repeating Trump’s remarks that Canada should be the “51st state” during a March 2025 visit to a historic Quebec library that straddles the Vermont border.
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When Trump slapped tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China in February 2025, Noem told Meet the Press the countries “will feel pain” if they don’t co-operate with U.S. efforts to secure the borders and stop the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants.
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NovaRed said Noem’s appointment is about assembling a team with expertise across government, industry, capital markets, infrastructure and resource development. The company seeks to combine “machine learning-driven geospatial intelligence with traditional geological expertise” to generate domestic exploration opportunities.
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“In an increasingly competitive global environment, secure and reliable access to critical minerals has become an important economic and national security priority,” said Noem in the statement.
