Noem and Corey Lewandowski, the Trump-world fixture who is Noem’s confidant and unofficial chief of staff, have spent the past few months tightening control over ICE through their top appointee, Madison Sheahan, the agency’s deputy director. Sheahan worked as an aide to Noem in South Dakota, and she was running the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries when Noem installed her at ICE in March, initially trying to make her the agency’s top official. Other administration officials objected, and Todd Lyons, a veteran ICE official, has remained in the acting-director role.

Sheahan, whose job consists of running ICE’s “day-to-day operations,” according to her official bio, has alienated many career officials who dislike being bossed around by a 28-year-old who has never worked in immigration enforcement. Eight current and former officials told me that Sheahan affects a brusque, bruising personal manner that they believe she deploys to compensate for her lack of law-enforcement credentials.

“They put her in there because she has a very, very close connection to the secretary, to be her eyes and ears and keep watch on what’s going on,” one official told me. “She’s been demanding a gun and a badge constantly, even though she’s never gone through any training or done anything to earn those things.”

Sheahan has been thrust into a role she’s not ready for, one official said. “When you start from a position of weakness, you have to do things outside of the comfort zone to make it seem like you have authority,” the official told me. There are new framed photos of Sheahan participating in ICE raids hanging outside the executive suites on the 11th floor of the agency’s headquarters, along with photos of Noem, but few of ICE acting director Todd Lyons, two officials told me.

In recent weeks ICE officials have been working out an arrangement that would grant Sheahan limited customs-inspection authority to give her a firearm she could carry inside federal buildings, three officials told me.

McLaughlin said Sheahan does not have a service weapon, and has not sought one. “These attacks on Madison Sheahan’s leadership style have no basis in reality and are rooted in sexism,” McLaughlin wrote. “Madison Sheahan is a work horse, strong executor, and accountable leader.”