Kristi Noem, the likely next homeland security secretary, promised that incoming President Donald Trump’s policies on the border would go into effect fast — and that true border security would be achieved soon after.
“The southern border is not secure today, but in just three days, we will have a new president in this country, President Donald J. Trump, and he will secure our border,” Noem said during her confirmation hearing Friday.
The Department of Homeland Security is a wide-ranging department responsible for cybersecurity, combating terror attacks, responding to natural disasters, protecting the president and more. But it was clear from Noem’s remarks that for this administration, the border is the central issue.
In response to a question from Sen. Ruben Gallego about ensuring that the agricultural industry has enough workers, Noem said, “Trump has been very clear that his priority is going to be deporting criminals, those who have broken our laws and perpetuated violence in our communities.”
But she also declined to say whether she thinks the U.S. needs more immigrants. When asked, she said, “I do believe we need to follow our legal immigration laws and that it needs to be vetted.”
Noem previewed many of Trump’s policies. She said that she has “talked extensively” with the president-elect about reinstating Title 42, a public health emergency authority that his first administration used during the COVID-19 pandemic to turn away migrants at the southern border and was eventually ended by the Biden administration.
She said that if she is confirmed, she’ll end the use of the CBP One app “on Day One.” The app allows migrants to apply for asylum remotely and schedule an appointment to make their asylum claim at a point of entry.
Noem also indicated that temporary protected status would come under fire. Trump significantly limited the use of the status during his first term, but Joe Biden has extended it to allow migrants from certain countries to stay and work in the United States, most recently for Venezuelans and Salvadorans. The status does not provide a path to citizenship but provides legal status for 18 months.
“This program has been abused and manipulated by the Biden administration, and that will no longer be allowed,” Noem said. “The program is intended to be temporary, and this extension of over 600,000 Venezuelans as well, is alarming.”
Noem declined to comment directly on whether she’d work to reunite families Trump separated during his first term. She denied the “zero-tolerance” policy could be considered family separation at all and instead referenced Laken Riley, a student killed by an undocumented immigrant, and drugs from the southern border that may have harmed U.S. citizens.
“The Trump administration never had a family separation policy. They had a zero-tolerance policy, which said that our laws would be followed,” she said. “We will uphold our law, and we’ll make sure that we’re doing everything we can to keep our children safe.”
One senator questioned how Noem would work with Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar.” Sen. Andy Kim pressed Noem on whether she would actually be supervising the department, pointing to statements from both Homan and Trump about Homan’s involvement.
Noem said Trump “will be in charge of the border” but that she and Homan “communicate all the time” and will work together closely.
Noem has taken an active role on the border, even from South Dakota, deploying the National Guard from her state multiple times down to Texas, but others took her appointment as a sign that immigration policy would really come from Homan and Trump aide Stephen Miller, Politico reported.
She alluded to the questions about her appointment in the hearing and said she was the right pick for the department.
“The reason that I asked for [the job] is because I knew it was the president’s No. 1 priority,” Noem said. “I knew that it needed to have someone in the position that would do what the president promised the American people, would be strong enough to do it.”
Noem does not appear to be facing a particularly contentious confirmation. Democrats asked some pointed questions but generally seemed open to her. Like Republicans, they also took the opportunity to emphasize the need for border security.
“We all want more border security. We want to stop migrant crime,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
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Casey Murray is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.