On Friday, Kristi Noem testified before lawmakers on Capitol Hill during confirmation hearings for her potential position as Secretary of Homeland Security.
Noem appeared to have support from lawmakers. Many senators at Friday's hearing said they expected her to be one of the first of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees to be confirmed.
The hearing was concluded by midday, an indicator of a relatively smooth and uncontroversial hearing.
Noem, who is currently the Governor of South Dakota and was a congresswoman for eight years, told lawmakers that if she became secretary, she would swiftly execute Trump's policy aims on immigration, including by winding down a humanitarian assistance program that granted certain immigrants expedited access.
Noem repeatedly indicated she would "seal the border" and carry out Trump's plans for mass deportations, beginning with people who are in the country illegally and who have criminal convictions. She did not go into detail about the logistics of funding a major deportation effort, housing detainees or following up on deportation processes.
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The Secretary of Homeland Security is also charged with oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and with preventing terrorist attacks against the U.S.
Noem indicated she would make changes to a "dysfunctional" Department of Homeland Security, strengthening cybersecurity protection but also scaling back the department's focus on countering disinformation.
