Kristi Noem: 5 Things the New Homeland Security Secretary Said About Immigration

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the country’s next Department of Homeland Security secretary, and she hasn’t hidden her views on immigration.

She said America was facing an invasion, expressed support for Trump’s Muslim ban, explained why her state wouldn’t accept homeless migrants, and expressed support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott by offering to remove barbed wire for the southern border.

Noem, 52, is currently serving her second four-year term as governor of South Dakota and will soon be responsible for leading an agency tasked with enforcing border security and immigration, disaster relief and U.S. intelligence, according to CNN.

Noem was thought to have been on Trump’s original vice presidential shortlist, but her chances were dashed following the publication of her book. No Going Back: The Truth About What’s Wrong in Politics and How We Move America Forward.

In the book, she revealed that she killed her 14-month-old wirehaired dog, Cricket, when he didn’t show the signs of a suitable hunting dog, sparking major backlash.

Newsweek emailed Trump’s campaign and Noem’s office outside normal business hours for comment.

After Trump’s campaign promise to launch the largest deportation operation in US history, he has already appointed two staunch supporters of a strict immigration policy to his new government. Longtime adviser Stephen Miller was confirmed as deputy chief of staff for policy and Tom Homan, his former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was named “border czar.” Homan is tasked with “deporting all illegal immigrants back to their country of origin.”

Noem completes a trio of hardliners pushing the immigration agenda.

She has been Governor of South Dakota since 2019, making her the state’s 33rd governor and the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her term as governor, Noem represented South Dakota’s entire congressional district in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019 and was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, representing the 6th District. Her conservative views on border security and immigration policy speak for themselves.

Muslim ban

During her time in Congress, she supported Trump’s controversial Muslim ban.

Noem said in 2017 that she agreed with President Donald Trump’s concerns about refugee control and supported stopping accepting refugees from “terrorist-controlled regions.”

“My top priority is the safety of the American people,” Noem said at the time.

“I share the President’s concerns about our ability to screen refugees – particularly those from areas where terrorist attacks are taking place. “I support a temporary pause on accepting refugees from areas controlled by terrorists – at least until the government can certify that asylum seekers do not pose a security threat to the United States.”

The statement was issued in response to President Trump’s executive order temporarily suspending the U.S. refugee program for 120 days and imposing a 90-day ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Noem has shown clear support for Trump’s overall immigration policies and prioritization of national security. Her approach echoes many Republicans who have argued that the travel ban is about safety rather than discrimination.

“Call me if you’re American.”

In a post on

The federal government set up an emergency migrant facility near an overcrowded Customs and Border Protection center to meet the need for additional space.

Noem tweeted: “South Dakota will not accept illegal immigrants the Biden administration wants to relocate. My message to illegal immigrants: Call me if you are an American.”

Offers to drive to Texas to deliver barbed wire

Noem personally offered her Texas counterpart, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, razor wire for use on the U.S.-Mexico border as Abbott continued his battle with the federal government over border control.

“Governor Abbott did exactly the right thing,” Noem said on Fox News. “And I will drive him more barbed wire out of South Dakota if necessary so he can do his job.”

Noem has sent South Dakota National Guard troops to reinforce the southern border to support Abbott’s efforts to curb migration since 2021 and has previously described the southern border as a “war zone.”

“Our border guards do not support what President [Joe] Biden is doing well,” Noem added on Fox News.

“Our ICE agents on the ground do not support what President Biden is doing. Democrats in the country do not support what President Biden is doing at the southern border and they fundamentally disagree with him.”

“He’s so out of touch,” Noem added, referring to Biden. “He is reshaping this country – we will be Europe in a year or two if we allow President Biden to continue this invasion of our country.”

Days later, Noem was asked on CNN about Abbott’s ongoing legal battle with the Biden-Harris administration.

“Texas should stand firm; they should enforce their state laws and return to the constitutional rights granted to them to protect their state sovereignty, and that is what so many of us governors are offended by,” Noem said.

Noem’s comments came after the Biden administration scored a victory over Abbott as the Supreme Court voted to allow the removal of razor wire along the U.S. southern border.

Cartels wage war

As Noem considered helping Texas improve security to stem the flow of undocumented migrants, she said cartels were “waging war” on the United States

“The United States of America is in a time of invasion,” Noem said. “The invasion is coming through our southern border. The 50 states have a common enemy, and that enemy is the Mexican drug cartels. They are waging war on our nation, and these cartels continue the violence in every one of our states, even here in South Dakota.”

Noem cited illegal drugs, including fentanyl, and violent crime in communities as reasons for her decision to send National Guard troops to Texas.

Call on Democrats to get in line

Noem criticized Democratic governors who vowed to oppose President-elect Trump’s immigration policies. He described their actions as “extremely irresponsible” and called on them to start a dialogue with the new government.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have pledged to make their states “Trump-proof” to protect migrants from Trump’s flagship mass deportation policy.

Reacting to Trump’s stunning comeback victory, Pritzker said at a news conference in Chicago: “To anyone who intends to take away the freedom, opportunity and dignity of Illinoisans, I want to remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior. “You come for my people, you come through me.”

Newsom, a staunch critic of former President Trump, called on lawmakers on Thursday to hold a special session later this year. He called for the session to focus on strengthening and protecting California’s progressive policies on climate change, reproductive rights and immigration in the face of a possible second Trump presidency.

Noem said both governors’ comments were “not a mature response” to Trump’s rise to the top job.

“If I had a new president in the White House, even if he wasn’t from my political party, the first thing I would do is call him and ask if I could set up a meeting,” Noem said on NewsNation. Elizabeth Vargas reports.