Kristi Noem
Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Most have probably come across 'equal opportunities,' two powerful words that companies use when posting job openings. Apparently this was the same promise that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was preaching, giving older people, including retired ones, a chance to earn a decent living.

A 68-year-old retired police officer, known only as Doug, tried his luck and applied in July 2025. He sent his application weeks before Noem's announcement, anticipating the change.

Retired Officer's Federal Dream Unravels

His efforts were rewarded and Doug got a tentative offer for a desk-based role in Atlanta. His remuneration included a $127,000 (£94,000) base salary and a $20,000 (£14,806) annual bonus.

Together with potential overtime work and his pension, he estimated that he would be making about $250,000 (£185,806) a year.

However, he noticed some dysfunctions in the hiring process. He was initially told that he would start working in Indianapolis before being told that it would be in Atlanta instead. His start date was also pushed to 20 October.

However, the heartbreak came on the midnight before Doug was to officially start. He received a shocking email that crushed him.

'Four days later, a one-paragraph email pulled the rug entirely: "It has been determined that you do not meet the eligibility for [the] age requirement for the position; therefore, the offer of employment is rescinded,"' according to an investigation by PunchUp.

Considering Doug had already been sworn in and went through a virtual course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, it was devastating news. He ended up filing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints against ICE and DHS with hopes of getting some back pay and remuneration. Instead he was told that his case was one of thousands of similar cases the agency had been dealing with.

Noem's Policy Pledge Under Fire

The mandatory retirement age for ICE agents was 60 years old. However, Noem announced in August 2025 that they were ending that age cap requirement and urged qualified individuals to apply.

'We are ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement,' said Secretary Noem. 'Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit. JOIN.ICE.GOV.,' Noem stated.

However, the case of Doug showed that Noem's announcement was never recognised. According to the personnel that Doug spoke with, Noem never possessed the power to scrap the age cap and that it was an HR issue. The 68-year-old was told that the cap was never lifted, the Daily Beast reported.

It was unfortunate for Doug who admitted that all his efforts went down the drain.

'I feel a lot of resentment, because in good faith, I did all of this for nothing,' he rued.

The issue becomes another point against Noem who was relieved by US President Donald Trump in March, replacing her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.

However, Trump added that Noem was not totally out and that she would be moving to be the Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas. Her firing came just days after she was being probed by Congress regarding her leadership.

As of this writing, Noem has yet to address the issue. The former Homeland Security Secretary is reportedly still using a waterfront house on a military base in Washington D.C., one that she occupied when she was still a cabinet member.

Now that she is serving under the State Department, her stay there has drawn criticism since she is no longer tied to the DHS, The Wall Street Journal reported. The issues involving Noem continue to pile up and resolving each of them is likely to take some time.

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