Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
Saturday the Senate convened to vote on whether or not Kristi Noem would become the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Senate confirmed Noem’s nomination. In her position, Noem will now be responsible for executing the harsh immigration policies that Trump has become known for.
Noem was voted in by a 59-34 vote and is the fourth member of Trump’s cabinet to be confirmed by the Senate alongside Marco Rubio, John Ratcliffe, and Pete Hegseth. Noem is set to be at the center of Trump’s harsh immigration policies including various deportation policies, visa changes, and stricter border security measures. Noem stated that she felt she was best for the role because she “ knew it was the president’s number one priority” to the Senate committee during her questioning. Noem went on to say that she “knew that it would be needed to have someone in the position, that would do what the president promised the American people and would be strong enough to do it.”
During her confirmation hearing Noem claimed that she would partner with Trump to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy or the Migrant Protection protocols that require asylum seekers to wait in Mexico until their court dates in the U.S. These policies were implemented to limit the number of people waiting inside the U.S. Borders. Noem went on to express her support for ending birthright citizenship despite the ruling that deemed it unconstitutional.
