Senior Trump administration officials have grown increasingly frustrated with Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar, with some discussing whether he should be replaced just months after returning to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to current and former department officials cited by POLITICO.
The concerns come as DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin works to stabilize an agency that has undergone months of leadership upheaval following the departure of former Secretary Kristi Noem.
Edgar, who returned to his Senate-confirmed post in April after the White House withdrew his nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, has become a source of internal tension, with critics accusing him of overstepping his authority and clashing with Mullin's effort to decentralize decision-making.
"He wasn't the right pick to begin with," one department official told POLITICO, while another said Edgar "has few friends and supporters in the DHS." Several current and former officials alleged that Edgar has inserted himself into operational matters beyond his portfolio, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and Transportation Security Administration staffing decisions, despite what they described as a limited understanding of some immigration enforcement processes.
Mullin has publicly rejected suggestions of discord. "Troy Edgar is a key part of my DHS team. I have the utmost trust and respect in Troy," the secretary told POLITICO, calling reports of internal divisions "unfounded." The White House also defended Edgar, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson saying President Donald Trump has "total confidence" in the department's leadership.
Before returning to DHS, Edgar had been nominated to serve as ambassador to El Salvador after his relationship with Noem deteriorated. Because he never resigned his Senate-confirmed position as deputy secretary, he was able to resume the role immediately after the nomination was withdrawn.
At the time, DHS described Edgar's institutional knowledge, including his previous service as the department's chief financial officer during Trump's first term, as an asset during the leadership transition, although some officials argued the department needed "a full clean slate" after Noem's tenure.
According to POLITICO, Brian Cavanaugh, Trump's nominee for DHS undersecretary for management, has emerged in internal discussions as a possible successor if Edgar were to leave the post, though no decision has been announced.
The reported infighting comes as Mullin faces mounting pressure over the department's handling of immigration enforcement. In recent weeks, DHS has drawn scrutiny following two fatal shootings involving ICE officers, prompting Mullin to briefly pause vehicle-stop arrests before reversing the decision after public support from President Trump for the tactic.
At the same time, ICE arrests have continued to climb under Mullin's leadership, surpassing 200,000 arrests through mid-July, according to data reviewed by The Washington Post, underscoring the competing pressures facing DHS as it pursues the administration's immigration agenda while responding to growing public and political scrutiny.
