Trump DHS picks Noem likely to face scrutiny over deportation, border plans at confirmation hearing
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem heads to Capitol Hill on Friday for a confirmation hearing to lead Department of Homeland Security — a hearing where border security and plans to launch a major deportation operation are likely to take center stage.
Noem, nominated by President-elect Trump to lead DHS, will appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee at 9 a.m. ET.
The governor mostly stayed out of the limelight, while the more controversial candidates attracted the attention of politicians and the media. But if confirmed, she will play an important role in the next administration, leading an agency that deals not only with border security but also with cybersecurity, natural disaster response and counterterrorism.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage during the Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
That broad role has been highlighted in recent days with the wildfires that have engulfed Los Angeles, where Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plays a key role in the response. FEMA’s importance was also on display late last year during hurricane season.
It will also be engaged in the fight for cyber security, including against threats from Communist China.
Coping with natural disasters and cyber security are areas in which Noem has experience. As governorbanned TikTok on state-owned devices in 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has one of the top cyber units in the country, and cybersecurity is the fastest-growing industry in South Dakota, an expansion that Noem encourages.
Noem has extensive experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the state has dealt with flooding, including the state’s record flooding in June.
Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018 and is up for re-election in 2022.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KRISTI NOEM, THE ‘BORDER HAWK’ WHO WAS NOMINATED BY TRUMP TO HEAD DHS
But it probably will be border securityand Trump’s promise to launch a historic deportation operation, which will be found in all the disputed exchanges.
Trump, in nominating Noem, claimed she was “very strong” on border security.
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens as North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks during a Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio on March 16, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
“She will work closely with ‘border czar’ Tom Homan to secure the border and ensure our American homeland is safe from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years and have worked with her on various projects. She will be a huge part of our mission to make America safe again,” Trump said in a statement.
“With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so that families can once again have the opportunity to pursue the American dream,” Noem said.
While Homan is charged with leading the deportation operation, Noem will be in charge of DHS agencies, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Democrats may choose to question Noem on their objections to mass deportations, although a number of Democrats have indicated their openness to border security and legislation that mandates ICE custody for some illegal immigrants — after the historic border crisis during the Biden administration that has only recently subsided and was a major issue in the 2024 election.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
Noem previously supported a pause in the acceptance of migrants from terrorist hotspots. As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to accept any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the Texas border.
“My message for illegal immigrants is — Call me when you’re American,” she said on Facebook in 2021.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the new chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, McClatchy said that he believes there will be a quick confirmation of Noem and that he will likely have a few Democrats vote for her.
“I think the bar is so low that any attempt to slow mass illegal migration would be an improvement,” Paul said. “I think they will be very aggressive, not only her, but the whole [Trump] administration.”
