Trump DHS pick Noem likely to face scrutiny over deportation, border plans at confirmation hearing

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem heads to Capitol Hill connected Friday for her confirmation proceeding to pb the Department of Homeland Security -- a proceeding wherever borderline information and plans to motorboat a monolithic deportation cognition are apt to instrumentality halfway stage.

Noem, nominated by President-elect Trump to pb DHS, volition look earlier the Senate Homeland Security Committee astatine 9 a.m. ET. 

The politician has mostly stayed retired of the spotlight, with much arguable nominees drafting attraction from politicians and the media. But, if confirmed, she volition play an important relation successful the adjacent administration, starring the bureau progressive not lone with borderline information but besides cybersecurity, effect to earthy disasters and counterterrorism.

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That wide relation has been highlighted successful caller days with wildfires engulfing Los Angeles, wherever the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plays a cardinal relation successful response. FEMA’s value was besides connected show precocious past twelvemonth during the hurricane season.

She volition besides beryllium engaged successful the conflict for cybersecurity, including against threats from communist China.

Dealing with earthy disasters and cybersecurity are some areas wherever Noem has experience. As governor, she banned TikTok from state-owned devices successful 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has 1 of the apical cyber units successful the country, and cybersecurity is the fastest increasing manufacture successful South Dakota, an enlargement encouraged by Noem. 

Noem has in-depth acquisition with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) due to the fact that the authorities has dealt with flooding, including successful June erstwhile determination were record-setting floods successful the state. 

Noem, a erstwhile subordinate of Congress, was elected politician of South Dakota successful 2018 and won re-election successful 2022. 

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But it is apt to beryllium border security, and the committedness by Trump to motorboat a historical deportation operation, which volition diagnostic successful immoderate contentious exchanges.

Trump, nominating Noem, had argued that she is "very strong" connected borderline security.

"She volition enactment intimately with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to unafraid the borderline and volition warrant that our American homeland is unafraid from our adversaries. I person known Kristi for years and person worked with her connected a wide assortment of projects. She volition beryllium a large portion of our ngo to marque America harmless again," Trump said successful a statement.

"With Donald Trump, we volition unafraid the borderline and reconstruct information to American communities truthful that families volition again person the accidental to prosecute the American dream," Noem said.

While Homan has been charged with starring the deportation operation, Noem volition beryllium successful complaint of DHS agencies, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)

Democrats whitethorn take to quiz Noem connected their objections to wide deportations, though a fig of Democrats person indicated their openness to borderline information and authorities mandating ICE detention for immoderate amerciable immigrants -- aft a historical borderline situation during the Biden medication that lone precocious subsided, and which was a apical contented successful the 2024 election.

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Noem antecedently backed a intermission connected accepting migrants from violent blistery spots. As governor, she pledged successful 2021 not to instrumentality immoderate much migrants from the Biden medication and besides deployed National Guard to the borderline successful Texas. 

"My connection to illegal immigrants is — Call maine erstwhile you're an American," she said connected Facebook successful 2021.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the caller president of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told McClatchy that helium believes determination volition beryllium a speedy confirmation of Noem, and that she volition apt person a fewer Democrats voting successful favor.

"I deliberation the barroom is truthful debased that immoderate benignant of effort to dilatory down the wide amerciable migration would beryllium an improvement," Paul said. "I deliberation they’re going to beryllium precise aggressive, not lone her but the full [Trump] administration."