Kristi Noem's 'Wasteful' $1Billion Self-Deportation Ploy Nearly Fell Apart After Firm Missed Basic Deadline in Embarrassing Mishap
Kristi Noem's negative impact is still being felt after her firing.
July 20 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
The firm that Kristi Noem selected to run President Trump's controversial self-deportation plan nearly fell apart over missing a basic filing paper deadline, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Salus Worldwide Solutions was given a three-year Department of Homeland Security contract to run Project Homecoming – which offers undocumented immigrants money and a flight to leave the United States; however, the company is now receiving severe backlash, so much so that several employees recently bailed.
Salus Worldwide Solutions Misses Key Deadline
Noem chose Salus Worldwide Solutions to run 'Project Homecoming.'
According to the PunchUp Substack, the $1billion program risked being gutted after Salus Worldwide Solutions made an embarrassing mishap and missed the June 30 deadline to file its annual report with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The fumble resulted in the firm being listed as "Not in Good Standing" and "Pending Inactive."
While the situation was rectified, the company has yet to save face, as Salus may have to re-compete for the remainder of the $915million Project Homecoming contract, which Democrat Bennie Thompson went off about to Markwayne Mullin. Mullin replaced Noem after she was fired by Trump earlier this year.
Thompson demanded that Mullin "take immediate action to stop this wasteful and corrupt spending" and "cancel" Salus' contract.
Three employees left the company within days of one another in May. And two other employees reportedly quit two months before that.
Employees Head for the Hills Amid Company Backlash
The firm has already received backlash, as a missed deadline almost gutted the self-deportation ploy.
The company's chief strategy officer, William Todd, was one of the employees who had quit. However, Todd claimed he had not quit but retired to spend time with his family. Todd would later reach out to the outlet and declare that morale "remains exceptionally high."
Another employee, Kyle Cullen, who left the company in the same week, claimed he was planning to move to Wisconsin with his wife to raise their family. According to the report, in-house legal adviser Tom Wilson was the third employee to depart. In response, a Salus spokesman shut down claims the employees booked it after they saw the "writing on the wall."
"When you ask them for comment, they will confirm these claims are baseless," they said in a statement. "We value every member of our team and are grateful for their service in this worthwhile endeavor."
In 2025, the firm received just over $1billion to work as a government contractor.
Kristi Noem's Nightmare Tenure Revealed
Markwayne Mullin replaced Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security after she was fired by President Trump.
The damning report came just days after Noem's rumored lover, Corey Lewandowski, was accused of mishandling government contracts. The Wall Street Journal had reported that evidence had been discovered suggesting Lewandowski personally signed certain contracts or had knowledge of approvals, despite not being a full-time federal government official.
Insiders claimed Mullin and White House officials had received briefings on the investigation, but Lewandowski's team denied he signed off on contracts. He also claimed he was never contacted about an ongoing investigation.
Lewandowski was a special adviser at the DHS during Noem's failed tenure as Secretary of Homeland Security. During her time in the role, the department spent $220million on an ad campaign, which included the now-fired figure riding a horse near Mount Rushmore.
The Strategy Group Company, which was hired to film the controversial ad, eventually released a list of the giant expenses, including $20,000 in horse rentals and nearly $4,000 on hair and makeup.
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Noem's tenure was marked by controversy.
The 54-year-old Noem had claimed that her boss, Trump, knew all about the expensive campaign and had even approved it. However, the president had another story, revealing that he "never knew anything" about the ad.
Since her ousting, Mullin, according to reports, has tried to reverse many of the decisions Noem made while she was in charge, including eliminating the fleet of ICE vehicles branded "Protect the Homeland," which agents warned put them at risk. He is also said to have asked border officials to confirm that airport videos featuring Noem had been removed.
