The U.S. Senate confirmed South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem’s nomination on Saturday, making her the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the country.
The 53-year-old former congresswoman Noem would be in charge of one of the biggest ministries in the federal government, which employs 260,000 people and has a budget above $100 billion. Among its duties are border security, aviation and cyber security, disaster relief, and dignitary protection.
Noem was confirmed by a bipartisan vote of 59-34, with two votes given in support of her by fellow South Dakota Republicans, Sen. Mike Rounds and Majority Leader John Thune.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, opposed Noem’s confirmation on the Senate floor, stating that the country’s economy will suffer from the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants that Noem may carry out on President Donald Trump’s behalf. According to Durbin, one of the sectors most impacted would be agriculture, which is crucial to Noem’s home state.
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According to Durbin, they will frequently be eliminating the very laborers who harvest the crops.
The United States is a country of immigrants, but we are also a society founded on the rule of law, and we have not seen that immigration law implemented over the last four years, said Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who spoke in favor of Noem.
Grassley stated, “I will vote for Governor Noem because she is dedicated to upholding our immigration laws.”
Noem, the first female governor of South Dakota, rises to the position of Homeland Security. She had been reelected in 2022 and was in her second four-year term.
Noem left her position on Saturday, and Republican Larry Rhoden, her lieutenant governor, took over as the 34th chief executive of the state. Rhoden will serve out the rest of Noem’s tenure until 2026. The South Dakota Legislature, which is now in the middle of its regular legislative session, must confirm Rhoden’s choice of a new lieutenant governor. Details on a ceremonial swearing-in will be revealed shortly, according to a statement sent by Rhoden’s office on Saturday.
Noem’s ascent to national fame, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic, was culminated by her confirmation vote on Saturday. In 2020, Trump accepted Noem’s offer to a Fourth of July weekend fireworks show at Mount Rushmore after he was impressed by her decision as governor to forego ordering extensive shutdowns in South Dakota during his first term. That strengthened the bond Noem had established with Trump throughout her four terms in the U.S. House, which spanned from 2011 to 2019.
Prior to her book’s sudden April release, Noem was widely believed to be a potential running mate for Trump last year.
The Guardian acquired a pre-release copy of No Going Back and read excerpts that Noem wrote about shooting a wayward hunting dog and an unruly goat to death. Noem’s assertion in the book that she had met North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was contested by the South Dakota media site The Dakota Scout, and she later withdrew it.
During a nationwide book tour, Noem came under intense scrutiny and was made the target of late-night TV jokes. However, she was given a prominent speaking position at the Republican National Convention less than three months later. Trump named Noem as his choice to head Homeland Security shortly after he won the election in November.
During his tenure as governor, Noem called a joint session of the Legislature to make a statement regarding the border and repeatedly dispatched National Guard troops to help Texas secure its border with Mexico. Noem will play a key role in implementing the Trump simmigration crackdown in her new position as secretary of Homeland Security.
Last week, Noem attended her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Border security must continue to be a primary concern, she said.
According to Noem, it is our duty and right as a country to protect our borders from those who would harm us. We also need to establish a legal, equitable, and efficient immigration system that matches our values.
Shortly after he took office on Monday, Trump launched his immigration program.
Trump’s bid to terminate birthright citizenship is momentarily blocked by a judge.
Trump took action this week to abolish birthright citizenship in the US as part of a flurry of executive actions. However, the proposal was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Thursday after a flurry of legal challenges.
Additionally, earlier this week, the Pentagon said that it will immediately deploy 1,500 active duty troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border after Trump proclaimed a national emergency there.
Following Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Noem is the fourth member of Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed by the Senate.
This report was produced by the D.C. Bureau of States Newsroom.
Like the Idaho Capital Sun, South Dakota Searchlight is a 501c(3) public charity and a member of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network backed by grants and a group of supporters. The editorial independence of South Dakota Searchlight is upheld. For inquiries, send an email to [email protected] to reach Editor Seth Tupper.
