HomeTop StoriesKristi Noem confirmed by the US Senate to head Department of Homeland...

Kristi Noem confirmed by the US Senate to head Department of Homeland Security

Kristi NOEM secured U.S. Senate confirmation as secretary of Homeland Security on Saturday, putting South Dakota’s governor in charge of a sprawling agency vital to national security and Donald Trump’s plans to clamp down on illegal immigration during his second presidency.

The Senate worked Saturday as Republicans successfully tried to install the newest member of Trump’s national security team. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was confirmed Friday evening in a dramatic tie-breaking vote by J.D. Vance, joining the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the CIA Director, John Ratcliffe.

The Senate is scheduled for its next vote Monday evening on Scott Bessent’s confirmation as Treasury secretary.

Republicans unanimously voted to confirm Noem and got support from seven Democrats, including John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Margaret Hassan of New Hampshire and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. The final vote was 59-34.

Democrats — or those watching with their party — who did not vote included Angus King of Maine, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Ron Wyden of Oregon, according to the New York Times , according to the New York Times.

NOEM’s supporters praised her views on immigration and expressed confidence in her ability to run the department.

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“Fixing this crisis and restoring respect for the rule of law is one of the top priorities of President Trump and Republicans,” GOP Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said on Friday. “And it will require a decisive and committed leader at the Department of Homeland Security. I believe Kristi has what it takes to do this job. ”

Noem thanked Trump for naming the role on Saturday.

“I will work to make America safe again,” she wrote on social media.

The Secretary of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Citizenship and Immigration Services. In addition to those agencies, the department is also responsible for securing airline transportation, protecting dignitaries, responding to natural disasters and more.

NOEM, who held her state’s sole seat in the U.S. House for eight years before becoming governor in 2019, has risen in the Republican Party by aligning closely with Trump. At one point, she was even considered to be his running partner.

However, her political stock took a temporary dip when she released a book last year that included an account of her killing her hunting dog, as well as a false claim that she once met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

NOEM has no law enforcement experience but has pledged to faithfully carry out the president’s orders and copied his talk of an “invasion” at the U.S. border with Mexico.

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“Biden’s open border policy facilitates illegal border crossings. This invasion must end,” posted on X last year.

Trump plans major changes to the way the department functions, including involving the military in immigration enforcement and reforming the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Those plans could immediately put NOEM in the spotlight after the new president visited recent disaster sites in North Carolina and California on Friday.

Trump campaigned on mass deportation of immigrants, and as homeland security, NOEM will be part of the team that will implement Trump’s border policies. Trump also appointed Tom Homan, a longtime official within the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency, which manages border security and deportations, as his “Border Czar.” Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, is largely credited with creating the child separation policy during Trump’s first term.

NOEM joined other Republican governors in sending National Guard troops to Texas to aid Operation Lone Star, which sought to discourage migrants. Her decision was especially criticized because she accepted a $1 million donation from a Tennessee billionaire to cover some of the deployment costs.

Noem said she chose to send National Guard troops “because of this invasion”, adding that “it’s a war zone down there”.

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Six people moved on to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security during Trump’s first four years in office. His first Secretary of Homeland Security, John Kelly, eventually became his chief of staff, a position he assumed in 2019. Kelly is now a prominent critic of Trump, whom he has called a fascist.

Trump has the help of Republicans in Congress, who have majorities in both chambers, to implement his hardline immigration policies.

Earlier this week, Republicans passed their first immigration bill of the year, which would require the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft. While the majority of Democrats argued against the bill, saying it would lead to racial profiling and fear-mongering among immigrants, several dozen Democratic representatives voted with Republicans on the bill.

Maggie Goodlander, a Democratic freshman from New Hampshire, said the bill “gives law enforcement the tools they need to protect our communities.”

During her confirmation hearing, Noem faced questions about whether she would stand up to Trump if he tried to withhold relief money from certain states experiencing natural disasters.

NOEM did not answer the question directly, but said: “I will deliver the programs according to the law and that this will be done without political bias.”

The Associated Press contributed reporting

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