The Senate has confirmed Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, promoting the South Dakota governor despite her lack of experience with homeland security issues.
The Senate voted 59-34 to confirm Noem on Saturday. Seven Democrats approved Noem’s nomination alongside their Republican colleagues.
Noem is the fourth Trump Cabinet pick to be confirmed, after the Senate this week approved Marco Rubio for secretary of state, John Ratcliffe for CIA director and, late on Friday, Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.
The former two-term governor will now lead a federal department tasked with enforcing President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policies.
As South Dakota governor, Noem embraced Trump’s criticism of the Biden White House’s border security measures and echoed his rhetoric about an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border. She made repeated trips to the border and also ordered National Guard troops to Texas to help secure what she described as a “war zone.”
The Department of Homeland Security runs several key federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The DHS also oversees counterterrorism and cybersecurity efforts.
Upon his return to office, Trump signed a slew of immigration-related executive orders that had immediate repercussions: Refugees who were scheduled to travel to the U.S. had their flights canceled, a mobile app to help migrants secure appointments for their immigration applications was shut down, and the Pentagon was gearing up to send 1,500 additional troops to the southern border.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that it was rolling back restrictions that had prevented officials from making arrests in schools, places of worship and hospitals.