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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem heads to Capitol Hill Friday for her confirmation hearing to lead the Department of National Security — a hearing where border security and plans to launch a mass deportation operation will likely 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 has largely stayed out of the spotlight, with more controversial candidates garnering the attention of politicians and the media. But if confirmed, he will play an important role in the next administration, leading the agency involved not only with border security but also with cybersecurity, natural disaster response and counterterrorism.
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South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage during a Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio on March 16, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
This broad role has been highlighted in recent days by the wildfires that 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 engage in the battle for cybersecurity, including against threats from Communist China.
Dealing with natural disasters and cyber security are both areas where Noem has expertise. As governorbanned TikTok from state-owned devices in 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has one of the largest cyber units in the country, and cybersecurity is the fastest-growing industry in South Dakota, an expansion Noem has encouraged.
Noem has extensive experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because the state has dealt with flooding, including in June, when there was record flooding in the state.
Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018 and won re-election in 2022.
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But it probably is border securityand Trump’s promise to launch a historic deportation crackdown, which will feature in any contentious exchange.
Trump, who nominated Noem, had argued that she is “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 Tsar’ 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 a wide variety of projects. She will be a big 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 has been tasked 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 his objections to mass deportations, though some Democrats have signaled his openness to border security and legislation that mandates ICE Detention for some illegal immigrants, after a historic border crisis during the Biden administration that only recently abated, and was a major issue in the 2024 election.
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Noem previously supported a pause in accepting migrants from terrorist hotspots. As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the Texas border.
“My message to illegal immigrants is: Call me when you’re American,” he said on Facebook in 2021.
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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the new chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, he told McClatchy that he thinks there will be a quick confirmation of Noem and that he will probably have a few Democrats voting for him.
“I think the bar is so low that any kind of attempt to curb mass illegal migration would be an improvement,” Paul said. “I think they’re going to be very aggressive, not just her but the whole (Trump) administration.”
