U.S. Rep. Beatty introduces bill to reform ICE amid Trump’s firing of Noem
U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty introduced a bill last week, intending to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement, amid President Donald Trump’s firing of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem amid allegations she spent $220 million on advertising that involved an Ohio company.
In a news release, Beatty said that the proposed Protecting Our Communities Act will reform ICE to protect “the rights, liberties, and safety of Ohioans.”
“It’s clear: ICE, as an institution, is fundamentally broken, and the harm it has caused is already too great. Reform is paramount, and it must happen quickly, before more people are hurt,” she said.
Beatty added that neither Trump nor Noem acknowledged or apologized for ICE killing American citizens – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – and “detaining children, the disabled, the elderly, and countless innocent people who have not been charged with a crime.”
“This bill will enact much-needed reform to restructure ICE and protect our communities – so that Americans feel safe again,” she said.
The bill, the text of which was included in the press release, would mandate body cameras for ICE agents, “require ICE officers to have clearly visible identification, forbid masks, require de-escalation training, and ensure proper coordination with local law enforcement.” Beatty added that all of these reforms would “increase safety and transparency within ICE operations.”
Beatty introduced her bill shortly before Trump fired Noem from her job, announcing in a post on Truth Social that U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, will replace Noem on March 31.
“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere, which we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida,” Trump wrote. “I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’”
Trump announced the firing of Noem after she gave her sworn testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. During the hearing, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, brought up a $220 million border security advertising campaign, with an Ohio company being connected to it.
According to Cleveland.com, the Ohio company in question is Strategy Group, a Columbus-area Republican political consulting firm run by Benjamin Yoho, the husband of Tricia McLaughlin, who previously worked as a DHS spokesperson.
McLaughlin criticized Kennedy by defending her husband and saying that he is innocent in one of her posts on X.
“@SenJohnKennedy, if you’re going to accuse someone of corruption, you better have your facts straight,” she wrote.
.@SenJohnKennedy, if you’re going to accuse someone of corruption you better have your facts straight.
No, my husband doesn’t own Safe America and is not apart of it. He nor his company have ever had a contract with DHS.
In fact, it is clear you aren’t even aware who either… https://t.co/UPbBhTV6HZ
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) March 3, 2026
