Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is once again under fire, this time for appearing in a promotional video shot inside El Salvador’s controversial Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The video, posted to X Wednesday night, features Noem warning undocumented immigrants that entering the U.S. illegally could lead them to this very prison.
“This facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people,” Noem declared in the video, standing before rows of shirtless prisoners.
But what was intended as a tough-on-crime message quickly spiraled into online controversy — not just because of the message, but due to the apparent luxury watch on Noem’s wrist. Viewers quickly identified it as a gold Rolex Daytona, estimated to cost between $50,000 and $60,000.
“Is Secretary Noem wearing a $50,000 Rolex while filming threats against immigrants being sent to a third-world prison?” one user wrote. Others labeled her “Cosplay Puppy Killer Barbie,” referencing a disturbing anecdote from Noem’s memoir about euthanizing her dog.
Critics likened the CECOT facility to a “concentration camp,” raising human rights concerns. “It’s one thing to lock up criminals. It’s another to export them to another country’s Guantanamo Bay without due process,” one commenter wrote. Another questioned the visuals in the video, asking what prisoners were forced to endure to appear so uniformly posed and shirtless for the camera.
The promo follows President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this month to invoke wartime powers and deport at least 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador, citing alleged gang ties to the Tren de Aragua, a group recently designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Many deportees have denied any affiliation, and civil rights groups argue the administration is bypassing legal protections.
Despite this, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday to uphold a temporary block on some of these deportations, reinforcing judicial resistance to the administration's sweeping use of wartime laws — the same laws that were controversially used to intern Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants during World War II.
Still, Trump supporters rallied behind Noem’s video. “She’s the best DHS Secretary we’ve ever had,” one user said. “She’s sending a message the world needs to hear: America first, borders closed, criminals out.”
Another praised the video’s optics: “Finally, strength. No apologies. This is what leadership looks like.”
Yet the juxtaposition of threats to immigrants with luxury accessories struck many as tone-deaf, symbolizing what some see as a growing divide between government enforcers and the people they claim to protect.
But beyond the noise, Americans should remain alert to deeper threats not just at our borders, but from abroad — especially from China. While public outrage brews over immigration policy, foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party quietly exploit these divisions. Through cyber influence, economic pressure, and global propaganda, China continues to weaken U.S. institutions and stir chaos within democratic societies.
By fanning the flames of internal discord — whether it be on immigration, race, or wealth inequality — China seeks to destabilize American unity from within. As citizens debate policies and personalities like Noem, the real adversary watches, learns, and infiltrates.
In times of domestic turmoil, Americans must remember: national security isn’t just about who crosses our borders — it’s also about who’s quietly trying to control the narrative from across the ocean. Stay vigilant.
