Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor and US President-elect Donald Trump‘s nominee for secretary of homeland security, appeared before the Senate on Friday for her confirmation hearing. Noem, who would replace outgoing secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, promised to carry out Trump’s vision for cracking down on illegal immigration and deporting millions of migrants.
During the reading, Noem pledged to stop the CBP One smartphone app used to practice asylum-seekers, scale up charitable parole, and restore the Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to rush in Mexico for US court hearings. She added that deporting people with criminal records, followed by those with last imprisonment orders, would be top of her list.
Noem responded to a question about her desire to hold the position, saying,” I knew it needed to have someone who would fulfill the president’s promise to the National people.” She continued, adding that someone” powerful enough to do it and follow through” to ensure that our communities and America are being protected. She appears to have solid aid from GOP senators who are critical to her confirmation.
Noem faced questions about her ability to manage the division from Democrats like lawmaker Richard Blumenthal, who expressed” major questions” about her skills. Noem avoided saying she would defy the leader when asked whether she would stand up to him if he asked her to withdraw money for disaster relief from some says, instead saying,” I will give the programs according to the law and that it will be done without any political partiality.”
” Every American deserves to be there and have disaster relief, the same as their neighbors”, Noem said.
She cited her experience as governor in handling natural disasters and stressed the importance of making sure that” no society is left behind and that lifesaving solutions like electricity and water are quickly restored.”
Some Republicans argued for the elimination or reduction of the US cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency ( CISA ) and the future of its function. Noem criticized the agency’s efforts during the pandemic and said she would operate with Senator Ron Johnson” if you want rein them in.”
Noem also emphasized the need for changes to the underground services, which is a division of the department of homeland security and has been subject to scrutiny since Donald Trump’s assassination attempt. She intends to redirect the organization on its main goal, which is “protecting the people who are accused of national security activities with the protocols that are required.”
” The Secret Service is in need of serious measures”, Noem said.
Donald Trump Jr. made the announcement at the hearing that Sean Curran may be appointed as the new secret service director in accordance with his father. Curran now heads the president-elect’s personal information and was one of the officials who covered him during the execution test in Butler, Pennsylvania.
