Trump's Ex-Aide Celebrated Deportations With 'Praise Jesus' While Helping Send Migrants to Third Countries

Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump's 2016 campaign manager, responded 'Praise Jesus' when told a migrant had been deported to South Sudan, according to internal Homeland Security messages.

The emails and Signal chats, obtained by a watchdog and shared with Politico, show the unpaid adviser taking part in senior-level discussions on third-country deportations despite holding no formal executive post.

'I Love Deportations'

The messages, sent among top Department of Homeland Security officials between March and August 2025, were obtained by American Oversight, a liberal-leaning watchdog, through Freedom of Information Act litigation against the department, Politico reported.

When then-acting ICE Director Todd Lyons updated colleagues on the success of a third-country deportation to South Sudan, Lewandowski replied: 'Praise Jesus.' A week later, he wrote: 'I love deportations.'

In a separate exchange on 15 July 2025, Lewandowski praised deportation efforts. Lyons responded that 'they are only going to get better sir!'

A 'Shadow Secretary'

Lewandowski served at DHS from January 2025 to March 2026 as an unpaid adviser under a special government employee designation, a formal status that lets outside experts temporarily support government work. He held no executive leadership post.

Yet the messages show he took part in sensitive discussions, including planning deportations of undocumented immigrants to third countries and the legal fight over the deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García to El Salvador. The Maryland man was deported to El Salvador in March 2025 despite an existing order barring his removal there, a deportation the government attributed to an administrative error.

Officials treated him in many ways as an equal to then-Secretary Kristi Noem. In one email, Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar told his top aide to prepare items to report up to 'S1 and Corey'. S1 was the department shorthand for Noem.

Lewandowski also received the same high-level briefings as Edgar and Noem, including one on operations in Djibouti. Noem herself appeared only sporadically in the chats. In one exchange, she seemed alarmed after Edgar mentioned press office staff helping him with an opinion piece, later saying she had 'confirmed with Corey that it's not the same' person.

Much of the material was redacted by DHS, which cited provisions allowing it to keep interagency communications private.

Democrats Take Aim

The disclosure comes as Democrats, who won both chambers in the 3 November midterms and will take control in January 2027, have identified Lewandowski and Noem as major targets for investigations into the immigration crackdown.

'As some of the officials involved still hold positions of power at DHS, and legal challenges to third-country removals are still being litigated, Congress has a duty to investigate,' said American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu. She urged lawmakers to 'put those officials under oath'.

Lewandowski declined to comment to Politico, and DHS also declined. A representative for Noem did not respond. Former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the messages showed her carrying out the tasks of her job.

Other officials in the chats included McLaughlin, then-ICE deputy director Madison Sheahan and senior official Joseph Mazzara, who regularly posted status updates. Lyons and Sheahan did not respond to requests for comment.

Third-country removals, which send migrants to nations other than their own, have faced repeated legal challenges over whether deportees get enough notice to raise fears of persecution or torture. American Oversight argues the documents should prompt further scrutiny of the department.