Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary

January 25, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate confirmed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) to be Homeland Security Secretary. Noem was confirmed with bipartisan support 59 to 34.

Both U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) supported Noem's confirmation.

Britt is the chair of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She released a statement after the Senate confirmed Noem:

"After four years of Biden-Harris open borders policies fueling an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border, it's clear the American people deserve a Secretary of Homeland Security who is actually committed to securing our homeland," Britt said. "Today, I voted to confirm Kristi Noem, whom I believe will end the abuse of our immigration laws that has devastated families and communities across our nation. Under the leadership of President Trump and Tom Homan, she will help strengthen our border security and interior immigration enforcement – one of my top priorities in the 119th Congress. I'm excited to work with Secretary Noem to reverse years of failed immigration enforcement and return DHS' focus to true homeland security."

Senator Tuberville wrote on his X social media account, "Look forward to working with Secretary Noem to secure the border and finish the wall."

Noem is a farmer and rancher. She has been the Governor of South Dakota since 2019. She represented the people of South Dakota in Congress and in the state legislature.

Homeland Security is a massive federal department with a $60 billion budget and more than 230,000 employees.

President Donal J. Trump (R) has already implemented several actions to take back control of the nation's borders and curb illegal immigration. President Trump has declared a national emergency at the southern border and deployed over 10,000 U.S. troops to the southern border. Trump has already begun massive deportations – starting with criminal illegal immigrants.

Another area where Trump has expressed concerns has been with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The embattled federal agency has struggled to provide aid to millions of hurricane ravaged residents in North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, south Carolina, and Georgia as well as fire victims in California and Hawaii.

Trump has proposed overhauling FEMA or even eliminating it.

Homeland Security also oversees the Secret Service – another federal agency criticized over its struggles this summer to protect Trump.

Noem takes over after four years of lackluster leadership by Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas did such a poor job that he was actually impeached at one point by the House of Representatives; but the then Democratic controlled Senate refused to consider the evidence against him and blindly covered for Joe Biden.

The Border Patrol is also under Homeland Security. Building a border wall – a project that was shut down by Biden and Mayorkas – should be a top priority under Trump and Noem.

Every Senate Republican voted for Noem. She also had the support of Democratic Senators John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Tim Kaine (Virginia), Andy Kim (New Jersey), Gary Peters (Michigan), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Elissa Slotkin (Michigan).

Thus far the Senate has confirmed Noem to head Homeland Security, Pete Hegseth to head the Department of Defense, John Ratcliffe to head the CIA, and Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.