Homeland Security secretary on tariffs, fentanyl, southern border, ICE and DHS leaks

WASHINGTON (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday about President Donald Trump's tariffs and fentanyl.

According to Brennan, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said last Thursday, "Customs and Border Protection figures show seizures of fentanyl on the southern border have dropped over the past year" while claiming "they plummeted 75% in the past six months."

This prompted Brennan to ask Secretary Noem if the reports show that the "existing system is working," to which Noem said:

"We've seen incredible progress as far as what we've been able to stop at the southern border since President Trump has taken office. And I think that progress can be built on. These partnerships that we have in going after traffickers, cartels, the drug trade, and also human trafficking, can be even stronger and built on in the future. That's one of the things we've been asking for, in specific to the Mexican government, is how can we work better together to make sure we not only have the enforcement mission at the border, but south of the border and make sure we're going after these cartels. You've seen the President name them as terrorist organizations. And Canada, just recently, is starting to allow us to access some of their criminal background histories that we need in order to know who's coming across our border and what they're bringing. So, because of his strong stance on tariffs, we're seeing them wanting to be better partners with us to keep our people safe."

During the interview, Brennan and Noem talked about southern border crossing numbers, which Brennan said "they're at a 25-year low," while adding that 6,000 US military personnel are "working at the border now," which "could go up to 9,000 by the end of the month," prompting Brennan to ask Noem how long does she "have to keep them there if the numbers are already dropping," and Noem responded saying:

"We'll keep them there until that border is completely secure, and we see all time record lows of encounters. Our border patrol is doing fantastic work, but we're going to keep them there until the whole world gets the message that this isn't Joe Biden's world anymore. This is President Donald Trump's country where we have a border, where we have laws and it applies equally to everybody. I think that is what is so refreshing, is that we're not picking and choosing winners and losers anymore. Americans have to live by the law, so do those who come to this country. You have to come here legally, or there will be consequences."

Talks then came to ICE, with Brennan saying the Trump administration revived a "policy of detaining migrant families...parents with children in ICE detention centers," leading Brennan to ask Noem if she had seen the facilities in Texas "where children are being held with their parents," and if she is personally comfortable with it, to which Noem replied:

"We've got detention facilities across the country, and there's specific ones that are built specifically for families if they are detained. But remember, everybody has an option. They have an option to be here legally or illegally, and they can self-deport as well. We've set up a system and a website where people who are here illegally right now can register, and they can choose to go home on their own and keep their families united."

Following this, Brennan and Noem talked about the leaks at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with Brennan bringing up Noem's tweet from last month saying, "The FBI is corrupt. We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks," with Brennan asking Noem if the latter was wrong to blame the FBI "if the leaks were from within DHS," and Noem said in part:

"No, I think there's leakers all throughout this government...in DHS, specifically, these two were leaking our enforcement operations that we had planned and were going to conduct in several cities and expose law enforcement to vulnerabilities, to those ops being jeopardized, to where their lives would be in danger. So they will be prosecuted, and they could face up to 10 years in federal prison because they did that. Anyone who is leaking information outside of how something is planned for the safety of those law enforcement officers needs to be held accountable for that."

To watch more of Brennan's interview with Noem, click here.