Gov. Kristi Noem, R-SD., speaks during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Julia Nikhinson/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Julia Nikhinson/AP
We’re following the confirmation hearings for the incoming Trump administration. See our full politics coverage, and follow NPR’s Trump’s Terms podcast or sign up for our Politics newsletter to stay up to date.
Who: Kristi Noem
Nominated for: Secretary of Homeland Security
You might know her from: Being the two-term governor of South Dakota
More about Noem:
What does this role do: Advises the president on security issues within the United States. In charge of immigration and border-related issues; the Coast Guard; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; counterterrorism; aviation security; and cybersecurity. Oversees more than a quarter-million employees.
Watch Noem’s Senate confirmation, set to begin Friday at 9 a.m. ET, here:
Noem would lead the department poised to be at the center of Trump’s immigration policy priorities, including any deportation efforts, visa changes, and border security.
She was among the first cabinet picks Trump announced, just one week after his electoral victory.
In a statement at the time, Trump said that “she will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.” Homan, along with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, are expected to draft and direct immigration policy at the White House that will be implemented through DHS and other agencies.
Following her nomination, Noem spent several days last month meeting with Republican lawmakers to discuss border security, among other items.
“I appreciate the president’s heart on this issue, and I know he wants the laws to be followed so I’ll work with him to get his vision accomplished,” she told reporters on Capitol Hill.
For example, she has expressed support for Trump’s idea of ending birthright citizenship, despite the constitutional complications involved.
What Noem might be asked about
If confirmed, Noem will oversee more than 260,000 federal employees at agencies ranging from the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration to the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the various divisions that enforce immigration and border laws.
Immigration is poised to be the top issue during the hearing. As a member of Congress, Noem supported several of Trump’s immigration policies, including a 2017 executive order that banned travel into the U.S. for nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries.
In 2020, Noem allowed her state to opt in to the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, which helps refugees admitted into the U.S. settle into the country.
Over the last four years, Noem has positioned herself as tough on the southern border and drug trafficking by deploying members of the South Dakota National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border.
She also invited controversy last year. She claimed in a speech that cartels from the southern border used tribal reservations to “spread drugs throughout the Midwest,” and that tribal leaders benefited. Her comments resulted in her banishment from lands held by the nine tribes of the state.
As the potential new lead of the nation’s federal national disaster response, Noem may also face questions about her handling of devastating floods in her state; her response was criticized for not sending the state’s National Guard, failing to issue evacuation orders and delaying the request for an emergency declaration.
