The Senate on Saturday confirmed Kristi Noem as the new Secretary of Homeland Security, placing the South Dakota governor at the helm of a vast agency critical to national security and President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda.
Republicans ensured the Senate remained in session through the weekend to secure the confirmation of Noem, following the dramatic tie-breaking vote on Friday night that confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Noem now joins Trump’s evolving national security team, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Next on the Senate’s agenda is the confirmation vote for Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary, scheduled for Monday evening.
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Noem, a staunch Trump ally and two-term governor, won confirmation with some bipartisan backing. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced her nomination earlier this week in a 13-2 vote, signaling that several Democrats were willing to support her leadership despite broader opposition to the administration’s hardline immigration policies.
During her confirmation hearings, Noem pledged to “restore order at the border” and promised swift action on Trump’s executive orders targeting illegal immigration, sanctuary cities, and asylum processing.
“Under my leadership, the Department of Homeland Security will work relentlessly to secure our borders, enforce our immigration laws, and protect the American people,” Noem stated during her testimony.
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As Homeland Security Secretary, Noem will oversee a department tasked with a wide range of national security functions, including border security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and disaster response. However, immigration enforcement is expected to be her primary focus as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up deportations, expand border wall construction, and impose stricter visa policies.
Trump’s recent executive orders have directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, increase personnel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers.
Noem has indicated she will prioritize these efforts while working closely with state and local governments to ensure compliance with federal directives.
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