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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk had "redoubled" its commitment to preserving American values and cracking down on illegal immigration.
A weekly post on social media, usually dedicated to the work by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and the agencies she oversees, was dominated by a message linked to Kirk's shooting in Utah.
"Charlie Kirk was martyred for his belief in free expression, his faith, and his unabashed love for our country," the DHS posted on X. "His sacrifice has steeled our resolve, redoubled our commitment and only increased our determination to save America at this critical turning point."
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Why It Matters
The messaging from DHS comes as part of a wider stance from the Trump administration that Kirk's assassination was a direct attack on American and Christian values. The podcaster often spoke on the issue of immigration, and mirrored views held by the current president and his supporters of a perceived invasion of illegal immigrants under former President Joe Biden.
What To Know
The DHS shared the video, fronted by Deputy Assistant Secretary Micah Bock, on X on Monday morning. The post above his message said that under President Donald Trump and Noem, the department would not stop until the country was secure.
Bock started the usual weekly recap by focusing on Kirk, saying that he knew the 31-year-old personally and called him the "heartbeat of a movement" that had brought people together.
The remarks referred to Kirk's Christian faith before stating that his "legacy continues to grow."
A clip was then shown of Noem speaking on Fox News, in which she said her hope was this was "an opportunity to come together and to unify," before saying that "some of the rhetoric we're seeing out of the left and out of political animals is ugly, and it is bitter."
Bock said that the DHS was clear that it would not shy away from taking the necessary steps to secure American citizens and political figures from future attacks, adding that the resolve had never been stronger.
"If the shooter and those who support their actions thought this bullet would slow down or stop Charlie's work, they were mistaken," Bock said.
The video then swiftly transitioned into a recap of the DHS's work over the past week, including Noem's visit to the United Kingdom, as well as the rollout of two major immigration crackdowns in Chicago and Boston.
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Kirk had shown support for mass deportations and introducing a net-zero immigration plan, at times referring to protecting American sovereignty.
The linking of Kirk's death to the DHS's work is similar to messaging seen from Republicans over the past few days, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance promising to honor the influencer's work, alongside other senior figures within the administration.
Efforts have also been underway to identify those perceived as celebrating Kirk's death, or even those who are overly critical of his beliefs. The State Department has said it will investigate foreign nationals who have made such comments, while the president has said there is an investigation underway into those on "the left" regarding Kirk's death.
What People Are Saying
Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, told Newsweek: "I think it's perfectly appropriate to condemn the individual criminal or those who helped the criminal. Obviously, those people should be condemned, but I don't think it's very useful, or helpful, or even accurate to condemn a wide, entire group of strangers, almost none of whom have anything to do with violence at any given time, for somehow supporting violence when just a handful of people over the last several decades have engaged in politically-motivated killings.
"It is just super, super unhelpful. It's not accurate and it's intended to be politically divisive. To stoke fear, stoke divisions, and probably to try to build the groundwork and political justification for a wider crack down, investigations, the use of the police to punish political enemies, etc."
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Thursday on X: "I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action. Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention."
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday: "...if you look at the problem, the problem is on the left. It's not on the right...and when you look at the agitators, you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burnings all over the place, that's the left, that's not the right."
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters after Kirk's shooting: "Enough of this. This is horrific, this [is] awful, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk risks an uncorking of political chaos and violence that we cannot risk in America."
What Happens Next
How Kirk's death further impacts Trump administration policies remains to be seen. Immigration enforcement continues at a pace under Noem's DHS, with the department touting large numbers of arrests in sanctuary cities in recent weeks.
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