Senate Confirms Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary 59-34

The Senate confirmed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the 8th Secretary of Homeland Security on January 25, 2025, by a vote of 59-34, with seven Democrats joining 52 Republicans. Noem oversaw an immediate expansion of ICE detention capacity, the launch of mass deportation operations, and the removal of restrictions on enforcement in previously protected "sensitive locations" like churches, schools, and hospitals. Her DHS oversees ICE, CBP, USCIS, and the Coast Guard, making it the cabinet agency most directly responsible for immigration enforcement.