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The US Senate has voted to install Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security as Donald Trump moves quickly to implement his promised clampdown on illegal immigration.
The upper chamber of Congress voted 59-34 to confirm the governor of South Dakota to lead the Department of Homeland Security, with a mandate to tackle the US border crisis.
In his first week back in the White House the president signed a flurry of executive orders that declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and ended America’s refugee resettlement programme.
He also restricted birthright citizenship, but the measure has been temporarily halted by a federal court that deemed it unconstitutional. Trump has vowed to appeal against the order.
“Border security must remain a top priority,” Noem said last week during her confirmation hearing. “As a nation, we have the right and responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm.”
Noem’s confirmation comes after the Senate approved Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Pete Hegseth as secretary of defence, one of the president’s most controversial selections.
As secretary of homeland security, Noem will also oversee the Secret Service, which came under scrutiny after two assassination attempts against Trump last year, one of which injured his ear.
During her confirmation hearing, Noem said the Secret Service was “in serious need of reform”.
“We all saw the threats to [president] Trump last year — and the consequences of failure,” she added.
Noem’s autobiography, which recounted how she shot her puppy Cricket for misbehaviour, became a national talking point last year.
