WASHINGTON — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, faced senators Friday at confirmation hearing that will be her first chance to lay out her vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.

Noem, a two-term governor and former U.S. congresswoman, was chosen by the president-elect to lead the department responsible for immigration and border-related actions that will be central to his plans for mass deportations and tightened access at the border.

Noem acknowledged that her nomination as DHS Secretary was “a bit of surprise” to many, but said she asked for the job because “it was the president’s number one priority.”

“I knew that it needed to have someone in the position that would do what the president promised the American people,” Noem said, someone “strong enough to do it and follow through to make sure that we’re protecting our communities and America.”

She would replace outgoing Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who was so vilified by Republicans angry at the number of migrants crossing the country’s southern border that they impeached him in early 2024.

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Overseeing Immigration and Border Agencies

The immigration and border-related agencies Noem would oversee include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services. Beyond those agencies, the department is also responsible for securing airline transportation, protecting dignitaries, responding to natural disasters and more.

Noem would be entering a job that was a pressure cooker under the first Trump administration. Six people cycled through the homeland security secretary position during his four years in office.

So far, she appears to have strong backing from GOP senators who will be crucial to her confirmation.

Sen. Rand Paul, the Republican chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said he would be looking for Noem “to lead an agency that has lost its way.”

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Democrats Question Qualifications

Still, Democrats questioned whether she is qualified to lead a department that is crucial to the country’s safety. They asked about her plans to manage the border with Canada, oversee disaster response and shore up cybersecurity.

Noem told the committee that she thought that the cybersecurity and intelligence programs at DHS have become “incredibly siloed.”

Still, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat on the committee, said he had “serious doubts” about her ability to manage “this huge organization of such serious consequence to national security.”

At the hearing, Blumenthal insisted that Noem answer his questions of whether she would stand up to Trump if he asked her to withhold disaster relief money from certain states.

While Noem avoided saying that she would defy Trump, she told the senator, “I will deliver the programs according to the law and that it will be done with no political bias.”

“Every American deserves to be there and have disaster relief, the same as their neighbors,” Noem added.

Noem’s Rise to Prominence

Noem became a regular presence in Trump’s orbit in recent years and at one point was even in consideration as his running mate.

After becoming governor, Noem started working closely with Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager. Then, during the pandemic, she rose to prominence in conservative circles for resisting most government regulations to slow the spread of infections, as well as taking a brash tone on conservative priorities.

The South Dakota governor has echoed Trump’s tough immigration talk, and her supporters said Friday her background of growing up on a farm and governing a rural state would give her the skills needed to implement his plans.

“It’s going to take some tough and hard leadership to get things back in order,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a fellow South Dakota Republican.

Commitment to Border Security

Sen. Josh Hawley assailed Mayorkas, saying he was a disgrace to the agency, and asked Noem whether she thought the southern border is secure.

“The southern border is not secure today,” said Noem. She said that once Trump enters the White House, “he will secure our border.”

She committed to ending the use of CBP One, a phone app the Biden administration used to schedule asylum applications at the border, as well as scale back the use of humanitarian parole and reinstate a Trump-era policy of requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

As governor, Noem joined other Republican governors who sent National Guard troops to Texas to assist Operation Lone Star, which sought to discourage migrants. The decision was met with particularly harsh criticism because Noem covered most of the deployment cost with a $1 million donation from a Tennessee billionaire who has given money to Republicans.

Noem said she opted to send National Guard troops “because of this invasion.” She said “it is a war zone down there.”