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Here’s what Trump’s likely DHS secretary said on immigration

by November 12, 2024

Topline

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security. That puts her at the forefront of his planned aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants, as Noem has made clear she shares Trump’s stance on the issue.

Important facts

Noem, who was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018 after representing the state in Congress, frequently appeared alongside Trump on the campaign trail and was in the running to become his vice president.

As DHS secretary, Noem will lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — two key agencies in Trump’s planned crackdown on unauthorized immigration — as well as a handful of normally lower-profile agencies dealing with emergency management. Cybersecurity and transportation security.

Noem’s tough immigration stance and rhetoric have sparked controversy during her time as governor: South Dakota’s nine tribal reservations banned Noem from entering their land this year after she claimed without evidence that tribal leaders were “personally influenced by the drug cartels that continue to operate.” benefited.” the reservations and commit murders there.

In response to the bans, Noem said in May that tribal leaders should “take action to ban the cartels from their lands and accept my offer to help them restore law and order,” but did not explain why she believes that they personally benefit from the cartels or provide evidence that cartels were responsible for crimes on the reservation.

Noem earlier this year sided with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the state’s battle with federal border authorities over the decision to put up razor wire along a stretch of the border where migrants crossed in Eagle Pass, contrary to a Supreme Court order erect, he told Fox News in January “I’m driving [Abbott] If necessary, more barbed wire from South Dakota so he can do his job.”

Noem has also repeatedly sent South Dakota National Guard troops to the southern border to support Abbott’s efforts and accused “President Biden and Vice President Harris” of “intentionally leaving the border wide open” when they announced a new deployment in August .

While promoting her plan to send aid to Texas, she told the South Dakota state legislature in January, “The United States is in a time of invasion.” . The 50 states have a common enemy, and that enemy is the Mexican drug cartels.”

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What you should pay attention to

CNN was the first to report on Tuesday that Noem would likely be tapped for the role, but Trump has yet to make an official announcement. Noem and all of Trump’s appointees, subject to Senate confirmation, are likely to pass the trial after Republicans took control of the upper house in last week’s election.

Who is Kristi Noem?

Noem, 52, grew up in South Dakota on her family’s ranch in rural Hamlin County and left college to take over the ranch as general manager when her father died. She later received her degree from South Dakota State University in 2011 while serving in Congress. Noem first entered politics in 2006 when she was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives. She was elected to Congress in 2010.

Surprising fact

Beyond politics, Noem is perhaps best known for admitting in her book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” published in April, that she is her family’s puppy and goat shot. Noem claimed the dog was “untrainable.” . . dangerous” and “aggressive” and that the goat was “evil and mean” and “liked to chase” its children. Responding to the backlash, Noem said she had not violated the law, which “says dogs that attack and kill farm animals can be euthanized.” Noem wrote in her book that the dog killed a neighbor’s chicken. The admission was widely believed to have dashed Noem’s prospects of becoming Trump’s running mate for vice president. However, Trump defended Noem, telling radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, “We all have bad weeks” and calling Noem “great.” Noem also removed a false claim from the book that she once met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Important background

As DHS secretary, Noem is likely to face intense scrutiny as she will play a key role in implementing Trump’s aggressive border control policies, including his plan for mass deportations. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives impeached DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this year, blaming him for the influx of migrants at the southern border. Noem will also work closely with Trump’s newly appointed “border czar” Tom Homan, his former acting ICE chief.

tangent

Trump has made several high-profile appointments to top positions in his administration since his election victory, with his first pick going to some of his most loyal supporters. He named Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as ambassador to the United Nations, he named his campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, his adviser Stephen Miller as deputy White House chief of staff for policy, and former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N .Y., as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as national security adviser. He is widely expected to announce Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, as his pick for secretary of state.

Further reading

Trump’s Cabinet: Here are his picks and finalists for White House roles – Kristi Noem, Marco Rubio and more (Forbes)

Kristi Noem: I Didn’t Break the Law When I Killed Our Dog (Forbes)

Trump Vice President Kristi Noem Shot Her Family’s Dog and Goat, She Reportedly Writes in New Book (Forbes)

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