DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin to leave Trump admin, source confirms
McLaughlin is one of the administration’s most vocal defenders of President Trump's immigration enforcement policies
By Michael Dorgan , Preston Mizell Fox News
Published February 17, 2026 11:34am EST
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin is leaving the Trump administration, Fox News has confirmed.
McLaughlin, one of the administration's most vocal defenders of President Trump's immigration enforcement policies, is set to leave the administration next week.
She planned to leave as early as December but delayed her departure amid high-profile DHS incidents, including the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month. Politico was first to report that McLaughlin plans to depart DHS next week.
McLaughlin also served in the first Trump administration at the Treasury Department under then-Secretary Steven Mnuchin and at the State Department on arms control issues.
An Ohio native, McLaughlin previously served as political communications director for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and as a senior adviser on Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 Republican presidential campaign, according to the DHS website.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-spokeswoman-tricia-mclaughlin-exit-trump-administration
