At the Center of the ICE Uproar, a Familiar Figure: Corey Lewandowski

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/politics/corey-lewandowski-noem-trump.html

https://archive.ph/eVLyN

At the Center of the ICE Uproar, a Familiar Figure: Corey Lewandowski
Now a top aide to Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, Mr. Lewandowski has a long history of controversy in President Trump’s orbit, but he has always found a way back from exile.
By Nick Corasaniti and Hamed Aleaziz
Jan. 27, 2026

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He looms as a significant figure inside the Department of Homeland Security, where he has been serving as a “special government employee” despite questions about whether he has exceeded the limit of 130 days a year for such workers.

Ms. Noem’s decision to empower Mr. Lewandowski has frustrated some in the agency and at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is part of the homeland security department. One D.H.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said that Mr. Lewandowski was known as someone willing to fire anyone perceived as getting in his way. At times, this official said, he has mused about which officials were stalling certain priorities and whether they should be fired.

A U.S. official said that directions at ICE were coming from Mr. Lewandowski and that nothing got done at the agency without his blessing. At times, this person said, Mr. Lewandowski yelled at ICE leaders as the pressure to meet Mr. Trump’s mass deportation goals increased last year.

Mr. Lewandowski has also been present at pivotal moments for Ms. Noem and the department, including speeches and controversial episodes. He was at the news conference in Los Angeles last year when Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, was forcibly removed and handcuffed after he tried to talk to Ms. Noem.

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