The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Saturday, one day after numerous Democrats signaled their support.
Her confirmation was far smoother than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's vote on Friday, which needed Vice President JD Vance to cast the deciding vote after three Republicans – Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell – voted no. Noem's nomination sailed through the Senate on Saturday by a 59-34 vote.
On Friday, the Senate held a procedural vote that indicated that eight Democrats would be in favor of Noem's confirmation.
Noem was the sitting governor of South Dakota and was considered one of the leading contenders to be Trump's 2024 running mate before he chose J.D. Vance. Noem's chances of being Trump's running mate seemingly dropped after she revealed in her book that she killed her unruly pet dog.
"The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down," Noem said in a statement in late April. "Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did. Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful, I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor."
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As Homeland Security Secretary, she will oversee both the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The role ICE plays in the federal government is being closely watched as President Trump has vowed to increase the number of migrants being deported from the U.S.
Noem repeatedly indicated during her confirmation hearing that she would "seal the border" and carry out Trump's plans for mass deportations, beginning with people who are in the country illegally and who have criminal convictions. She did not go into detail about the logistics of funding a major deportation effort, housing detainees, or following up on deportation processes.
President Trump also suggested that it should be left to the states, and not FEMA, to handle disaster relief.
"FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic, and it's very slow. Other than that, we're very happy with them, and I think when there's a problem with the state, I think that that problem should be taken care of by the state. That's what we have states for. They take care of problems," Trump said on Friday while in North Carolina to tour the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Noem said regarding providing FEMA funds for states, "Under my leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, there will be no political bias in how disaster relief is delivered to the American people."
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