Secrets can reveal that she will hold a press conference in Nogales, Arizona, as part of a show of unity with top officials and to demonstrate a return to business as usual after days of fending off questions about the tactics used in PresidentDonald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

It will also refocus coverage on the border, where the administration has a good news story to sell. 

“Last week sucked,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for public affairs. “This is returning to normal.

“I don’t know of another cabinet secretary who’s going out and meeting people in the field as much as she is.”

Her department was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons last week. Officials were under intense scrutiny after federal immigration officials fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the second such shooting in the city.

Pretti’s death triggered wide protests. An initial investigation by Customs and Border Protection’s internal watchdog contradicted Noem’s initial claim that he died after brandishing a weapon.

The result was growing public concern about the aggressive tactics used by immigration officers, even as Americans have broadly supported an immigration crackdown.

Trump defended Noem as calls for her resignation grew.

Insiders told Secrets that she was not in danger of being fired, but one official said that is only the case “for now.”

Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s senior adviser, told friends that her job is “secure,” according to Secrets’s sources.

But DHS remains the sticking point between Republicans and Democrats as they negotiate an end to the government shutdown, with the Left demanding reform.

In the meantime, Noem announced on Tuesday that every field officer in Minneapolis will be equipped with a body camera.

And on Wednesday, she will be at the border for what one senior administration official described as a “rehabilitation tour.”

McLaughlin bridled at the idea that the trip was about anything other than a Cabinet secretary doing her job.

“That’s not a cleanup job,” she said. “It’s just doing the demands of her job.” 

Nogales is well known to Secrets. It was not so long ago that you could find dozens of arriving migrants by the clouds of dust rising into the air as they tramped along dirt tracks.

Today, there are no clouds of dust.

Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons have both been invited, along with Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan.

My colleague Anna Giaritelli wrote last week about tensions between Scott and Noem.

McLaughlin said the focus of the border visit will be to meet with staff at the sharp end.

“She wants to hear directly from them, their concerns, and what resources they need,” she said. “And if you look at the body camera decision, so much of that is from her talking to these men and women on the ground, and they’re saying: ‘We want body cameras. This is helpful to us.’”

Trump officials say Kennedy Center is not a ‘design’ story

Officials at the Trump-Kennedy Center rolled out a PR blitz on Monday, defending the president’s announcement that the center will close for two years starting on July 4 for renovations.

Regular followers of the administration will not be surprised that the news was initially delivered in the form of a Truth Social post that came totally out of the blue.

Staff were informed only later, when Ric Grennell, installed by Trump to head the venue, forwarded the post along with a brief message that more information would follow in the coming days.

By Monday, the messaging caught up with the president.

Officials told Secrets that the remodel will focus on long-delayed maintenance, including electors and HVAC repairs.

It is not about Trump stamping his imprint on the center or changing its design; it is about stepping in after decades of mismanagement.

“After years of neglect under previous leadership and $250 million in deferred maintenance, our Chairman is revitalizing the Trump Kennedy Center and transforming it into a world-class destination,” Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations, told Secrets.

“The temporary closure is the most efficient and effective approach for this intensive beautification and restoration project, allowing us to renew America’s cultural center while ensuring every resource is used with maximum impact,” he added.

“The result will be a beautifully restored landmark that reflects the excellence and grandeur America deserves,” Daravi said.

Still, no one has been able to tell me why it has to close on July 4.

How a politician’s Woody Allen request ended up in Epstein’s inbox

Which California gubernatorial candidate has found themselves caught up in the Epstein files?

A colleague of the then political strategist apparently sent an email to Ian Osborne, a fixer to the wealthy and powerful, requesting help in meeting Woody Allen in 2011.

“I doubt [sic] suppose you know someone who knows someone who knows him, do you?” it asks.

It was among the huge trove of documents released on Friday.

Their problem was that Osborne forwarded their message on to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a friend of Allen, who was enjoying a revival in fortunes with the release of Midnight in Paris.

“If he is in London any time soon,” Osborne added cheerfully, “they would love to welcome him to No. 10.”

Who might have been in a position to offer invitations to the British prime minister’s Downing Street residence in 2011?

Lunchtime reading

“3 Florida House Republicans are exiting Congress. Now the mess begins”: The massive potential field could add to the Florida delegation’s already colorful cast of characters and could be completely scrambled by mid-cycle redistricting, while generating millions of dollars in political spending and creating intra-party divisions. And, of course, there’s a chance the races will affect the tight House majority margin.

“Peter Mandelson: Epstein is like dog muck; the smell won’t go away”: This is behind a paywall, so my apologies if you don’t have access. But it explains exactly how Lord Mandelson was the architect of his own downfall through his friendship with Epstein. This is the line that had Secrets wincing: “I’ve had a lot of bad luck, no doubt some of it of my own making.” Still not quite ready to accept all the blame.

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