By james art 
The Senate confirmed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Saturday to serve as Homeland Security secretary, leading her to carry out one of President Trump’s top priorities in his second term: cracking down on immigration.
Noem, a Republican, won confirmation by a 59-34 vote. She becomes the fourth person confirmed in Trump’s cabinet, following Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Pete Haggett, who was narrowly named defense secretary on Friday night after Vice President JD Vance voted.
As Secretary of Homeland Security, Noem will oversee immigration and border-related issues; coast guard; combating terrorism; aviation security; cyber security; and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — which Trump recently proposed should be completely overhauled or possibly eliminated.
Noem was South Dakota’s first female governor and led the state for two terms. She gained national notoriety for her stances against masks and lockdown mandates during the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump also previously praised NOEM for sending National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border.
Noem is a longtime Trump ally, with a history of supporting his immigration policies and proposals.
During her confirmation hearing, when asked why she wanted to lead homeland security, Noem said she asked for the job “because I knew it was the president’s number one priority.”
She added, “I knew it was going to take someone in the position to do what the president promised the American people and be strong enough to do it.”
Noem called the southern border “the number one threat to our homeland security.”
She vowed to make several changes to the department, including the shutdown CPB ONE APPwhich asylum seekers use to set appointments. (Trump falsely said the app was being used to smuggle migrants.)
Noem also supports Trump’s plans to end birthright citizenship and slash a program that was used by the Biden administration to temporarily allow more than a half-million migrants fleeing Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, to live and work in the US if they have financial sponsor and pass checks. Trump issued an executive order ending the program on his first day in office.
What remains to be seen is how her role will align with that of Tom Homan, who was tapped to serve as the White House’s border czar. His post did not require Senate confirmation.
In his confirmation hearing, Noem said he does not expect responsibilities to be stripped from the Homeland Security secretary or the department.
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