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FIRST ON FOX: A union representing thousands of Border Patrol agents is on the march Governor of South Dakota. Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, asking senators to confirm her nomination “quickly.”
“On behalf of the men and women of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) who protect our nation’s borders, we are pleased to lend our support to President-elect Donald Trump’s running mateGov. Kristi Noem to be the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,” National Border Patrol Council Chairman Paul Perez wrote in a letter to Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Rand. Paul, R-Ky., the chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, respectively.
Perez sent the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, to senators on Thursday, joining a growing chorus of law enforcement groups backing Noem. DHS oversees US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The union, which represents about 18,000 Border Patrol agents, wrote in its letter to Paul and Peters that Noem has demonstrated his ability to “get things done” both at home in South Dakota and on the national stage when he helped the Texas “Operation”. Lone Star” a fight against the migration crisis.
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Former President Trump listens as South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks during a Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio on March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
“Governor Noem is a seasoned leader who knows how to get things done, not only as chief executive of her home state, but also in Washington, DC, where she served with distinction and integrity in the United States House of Representatives ” Perez wrote in the letter, which was also sent to Sen. John Thune, RSD, the incoming Senate Majority Leader.
“Governor Noem was the first governor to deploy National Guard personnel to the Texas border in support of Operation Lone Star. This deployment strengthened our resources at a critical time along the border and help protect both Texans and Americans.”
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Noem has repeatedly deployed South Dakota National Guard troops to the southern Texas border to help curb illegal border crossings.
Migrants wait in line next to the border fence, under the watch of the Texas National Guard, to enter El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, file)
“The border is a war zone, so we’re sending soldiers,” Noem said in a press release in February, marking the fifth deployment of National Guard troops to the border under the Biden administration. “The primary mission of these soldiers will be the construction of a wall to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, drug cartels and human trafficking into the United States of America.”
Earlier this month, Washington, D.C. insiders told Fox News Digital that they expect Noem to get endorsements from a long list of law enforcement groups for their federal nomination.
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Fox News Digital previously reported that the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, the Fraternal Order of Police, sent letters to both President-elect Trump and Paul outlining their strong support for Noem as secretary of national security.
“Governor Noem has been a long-time ally of the FOP during her tenure in the House of Representatives and as Governor of South Dakota. The South Dakota State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Governor Noem for her 2022 re-election campaign, citing her belief in the rule of law and commitment to public safety,” wrote the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Patrick Yoes, in a November letter to Trump, obtained by Fox News. Digital.
Immigrants are pictured at a U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on December 7, 2023 in Lukeville, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Perez echoed that sentiment for Border Patrol agents, specifically calling for Noem’s swift confirmation to strengthen border and national security in general.
“We are confident that as Secretary, Governor Noem will continue to ensure that Border Patrol agents have the resources and manpower we need to secure our border. We encourage you to quickly begin considering this critical nomination and to confirm Governor Noem as secretary once President Trump is sworn in,” Perez said.
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Noem has served as governor of the Mount Rushmore state since 2019, and notably gained national attention and praise from conservatives during the pandemic when she pushed back against lockdown orders and mask mandates common in liberal states such as California and New York.
Gov. Kristi Noem visits FOX Business Network’s “Varney & Co.” on May 7, 2024, in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Trump, who pledged to end the immigration crisis at the southern border and crack down on the deadly drug epidemic that is ravaging communities across the country, announced his nomination of Noem just days after his decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last month.
“Kristi has been very strong on border security. She was the first governor to send National Guard troops to help Texas fight the Biden border crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times. She will work closely with ‘Border Tsar’ Tom Homan, and will ensure that our American homeland is safe from our adversaries.I have known Kristi for years and worked with her on a variety of projects mission to make America safe again,” he wrote in his announcement last month.
Noem began meeting with Senate lawmakers last week to rally support for the confirmation process.
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“We just had great conversations with Senator Peters, we talked about some concerns within the agency, what we can do to further our national security interests,” Noem told reporters, according to Roll Call. “And I think Republicans and Democrats in this country recognize the importance of national security and that we’re working together to make sure we’re safe.”
