WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, faced senators Friday at confirmation hearing that will be her first chance to lay out her vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.
Noem, a two-term governor and former U.S. congresswoman, was chosen by the president-elect to lead the department responsible for immigration and border-related actions that will be central to his plans for mass deportations and tightened access at the border.
The immigration and border-related agencies Noem would oversee include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services. Beyond those agencies, the department is also responsible for securing airline transportation, protecting dignitaries, responding to natural disasters and more.
“Being safe within our borders here in America is critical and yet Americans feel less safe than they have felt in decades,” Noem said in her opening statement.
She would replace outgoing Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who was so vilified by Republicans angry at the number of migrants crossing the country’s southern border that they impeached him in early 2024.
Noem would be entering a job that was a pressure cooker under the first Trump administration. Six people cycled through the homeland security secretary position during his four years in office.
So far, she appears to have strong backing from GOP senators who will be crucial to her confirmation.
Sen. Rand Paul, the Republican chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said he would be looking for Noem “to lead an agency that has lost its way.”
Still, Democrats were ready to question whether she is qualified to lead a department that is crucial to the country’s safety.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat on the committee, said he had “serious doubts” about her ability to manage “this huge organization of such serious consequence to national security.”
Noem became a regular presence in Trump’s orbit in recent years and at one point was even in consideration as his running mate.
After becoming governor, Noem started working closely with Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager. Then, during the pandemic, she rose to prominence in conservative circles for resisting most government regulations to slow the spread of infections.
The South Dakota governor has echoed Trump’s tough immigration talk, and her supporters said Friday her background of growing up on a farm and governing a rural state would give her the skills needed to implement his plans.
“It’s going to take some tough and hard leadership to get things back in order,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a fellow South Dakota Republican.
Noem joined other Republican governors who sent National Guard troops to Texas to assist Operation Lone Star, which sought to discourage migrants. The decision was met with particularly harsh criticism because Noem covered most of the deployment cost with a $1 million donation from a Tennessee billionaire who has given money to Republicans.