Senate Confirms Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary

The Senate voted on Saturday to confirm South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, marking her as the fourth nominee from President Donald Trump’s administration to receive approval.
With a vote of 59–34, all present Republican senators supported Noem’s confirmation. Her approval had been widely anticipated since she encountered no significant hurdles during her confirmation hearing. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee had previously advanced her nomination with a 13–2 vote, with only two Democrats dissenting.
Noem now joins Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as the latest Trump nominee to secure Senate confirmation.
As she takes the helm at DHS, Noem is expected to focus on key administration priorities, particularly border security and efforts to curb illegal immigration. The administration has already begun implementing significant measures, such as deploying military personnel to the southern border, resuming construction of the border wall, and discontinuing parole programs enacted during Biden’s presidency.
In tandem with these efforts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has commenced nationwide deportation operations in line with President Trump’s pledge for a “historic” immigration crackdown.
Since Trump’s inauguration, DHS has issued various directives aimed at enhancing immigration enforcement, including policy reviews on parole programs and expanding expedited deportation procedures for recent arrivals. Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman has signed off on these initiatives.
During her confirmation hearing, Noem emphasized the department’s broader responsibilities beyond immigration, pointing to cybersecurity, disaster response, and counterterrorism.
“We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland,” Noem stated. “The challenges in front of us are extremely significant, and we must secure our borders against illegal trafficking and immigration. We must safeguard our critical infrastructure to make sure that we’re protected against cyber attacks, respond to natural disasters and also terrorism.”
Despite discussing multiple priorities, Noem reiterated that securing the U.S. border would remain a “top priority.”
“As a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm. And we must create a fair and lawful immigration system that is efficient and is effective, and that reflects our values,” she affirmed.
During her tenure as governor, Noem took a firm stance on immigration, declaring in 2021 that South Dakota would not accept additional migrants under the Biden administration. She also deployed the National Guard to Texas to support border security efforts. Additionally, she collaborated with federal agencies on disaster relief, particularly in response to severe flooding in June.
During her confirmation hearing, senators inquired about how she would work with Border Czar Tom Homan, who has been leading deportation and border security efforts.
Noem reassured them, stating that she and Homan “work very well together and talk and communicate all the time. And we’ll be working together on a daily basis when we’re in our positions under the new administration. And I would say there’s no authority being planned to be taken away from the department or myself if I’m in the role.”
Even some members of the opposing party have begun to show support for elements of Trump’s immigration policies.
The Democratic governor of Massachusetts, for example, has voiced her backing for law enforcement actions targeting dangerous undocumented individuals, stressing the importance of “the apprehension of criminals in our communities.”
Gov. Maura Healey addressed reporters on Thursday, making it clear that she supports the arrests of individuals who commit crimes, regardless of immigration status. Local news outlet WCVB reported her remarks.
In response to concerns over recent law enforcement actions, Healey clarified that she “wouldn’t describe them as raids,” but rather, “what it seems to be, and what we expected and what I support, which is the apprehension of criminals in our communities.”
“Whether you’re documented or undocumented, you commit crimes, you’re subject to investigation and prosecution and accountability, and it looks like that is what happened,” Healey explained, according to Boston 25, a Fox local outlet.