Kristi Noem Officially Named Secretary of Homeland Security, Senate Confirms

The Senate confirmed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem on Saturday as President Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security, placing her at the helm of one of his administration's top priorities in his second term: cracking down on immigration. Noem, a Republican, secured confirmation with a 59-34 vote, making her the fourth member to join Trump’s cabinet, following Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Pete Hegseth, who was narrowly confirmed as Secretary of Defense after Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.

At 53, Noem steps into the crucial role poised to shape President Trump’s immigration agenda, which has been marked by efforts to tighten border security, modify visa policies, and escalate deportation measures. During her confirmation hearing, Noem emphasized her commitment to implementing the president’s goals, calling immigration his “number one priority.” "I knew this role was vital to delivering on his promises to the American people," Noem told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

As Homeland Security Secretary, Noem is expected to help reinstate the "Remain in Mexico" policy, a key measure to address asylum seekers, requiring them to wait in Mexico until their U.S. court hearings. She also pledged to shut down the CPB One App, which asylum seekers use to petition for asylum, after the app was canceled following Trump’s inauguration.

Noem has been a vocal advocate for curbing birthright citizenship, a controversial move President Trump seeks to pursue via executive action, despite legal experts’ skepticism about the president’s authority to change the Constitution through executive orders.

She will work closely with Trump’s "border czar" Tom Homan and Stephen Miller, a key architect of the president’s immigration policy. Noem is also expected to collaborate with Pete Hegseth on various initiatives, including deploying military resources to support DHS operations, building border barriers, and coordinating repatriation efforts.

Noem’s leadership will oversee more than 260,000 federal employees, and in addition to handling immigration matters, she will manage the department’s critical work in disaster response and counterterrorism efforts alongside intelligence agencies.