Kristi Noem pledges to revive Trump policy against border ‘invasion’ as Homeland Security head
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Ms Kristi Noem testifying during a Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Jan 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Homeland Security secretary portrayed illegal immigration as an "invasion" and the US-Mexico border as a "war zone" during a US Senate confirmation on Jan 17 where she pledged to back Trump's hard line on immigration.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who would lead the 260,000-employee department after Trump takes office on Jan 20, said she would work to reinstate Trump's "remain in Mexico" programme.
The programme forced non-Mexican migrants to wait in Mexico while pursuing US asylum cases but was dismantled by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Ms Noem said she would immediately end an app-based Biden programme known as CBP One that has allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter legally since 2023. She also suggested she would terminate a Biden "parole" programme that allowed certain migrants abroad with US sponsors to enter legally.
"If confirmed and I have the opportunity to be secretary, on Day One, CBP One will be shut down," Ms Noem told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "There's several of these programmes that need to be eliminated."
Trump, also a Republican, is expected to take a flurry of executive actions immediately after taking office to deter illegal immigration and increase deportations.
Trump says aggressive moves are needed after high levels of illegal immigration under Mr Biden's Democratic administration, although the number of migrants caught crossing has fallen dramatically
Ms Noem, if confirmed, would be in charge of the department that oversees border security, deportations and legal immigration paperwork as well as emergency response, cybersecurity and the US Coast Guard and Secret Service.
While she served as governor of a state closer to Canada than Mexico, Ms Noem deployed dozens of South Dakota National Guard troops to assist the Republican-led state of Texas with border security in recent years, including one controversial deployment in 2021 funded by a Republican billionaire.
Ms Noem said on Jan 17 that she sent troops because of the "invasion" at the border.
"It is a war zone down there," the governor said, saying illegal immigration had led to criminal activity in her state and across the US.
Numerous studies have shown immigrants do not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans.
Mass deportations
US Senator Ruben Gallego said agricultural businesses in his home state of Arizona were concerned that Trump's plans for mass deportations could lead to worker shortages, echoing broader worries among farmers.
"What is your plan to ensure safe and legal immigration processes for agricultural workers?" Mr Gallego asked.
Ms Noem said the incoming administration would focus on criminal offenders and people with final deportation orders but did not say farm workers would be protected.
If confirmed, she could find herself thrust into a debate among Trump allies about whether legal immigration should be restricted.
Ms Noem's family ranch, the Racota Valley Ranch Partnership in Hazel, South Dakota, has requested 59 H-2A visas for temporary agricultural workers since 2015, according to previously unreported US Citizenship and Immigration Services data.
US government records from 2024 list Mr Rock Arnold, Ms Noem's brother, as the business owner making the request.
Ms Noem's office and Mr Rock Arnold did not respond to requests for comment.
A Noem spokesperson told the Associated Press in 2021 that she no longer had a financial stake in the Racota Valley Ranch Partnership.
Immigrants, both in the United States legally and illegally, make up a large portion of the country's agricultural workforce. But some conservatives say guest worker visas undercut Americans' wages and slow down technological adaptation.
During the Dec 17 hearing, Ms Noem criticised the Biden administration's approach to homeland security, including efforts by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to combat misinformation and disinformation. She said the agency had "gotten far off mission" and should be focused on protecting critical infrastructure.
"They're using their resources in ways that was never intended," she said.
Ms Noem said she would work to counter smuggling related to fentanyl, including examining a trade law that allows lower-value shipments to enter the US with less scrutiny.
Ms Noem faced a backlash in 2024 when she wrote in a memoir that she had shot to death an "untrainable" dog
While most DHS secretaries since the founding of the department in 2002 have had experience with its mission, some moved into the role from other positions, including governorships.
Ms Theresa Cardinal Brown, senior adviser for immigration and border policy with the Bipartisan Policy Centre, said outsiders can still perform well as secretaries.
“It just means they have a bigger, steeper, faster learning curve,” she said. REUTERS
