Newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed her staff for the first time on Tuesday as she sets off to lead a department central to one of President Donald Trump’s biggest priorities in office – clamping down on the border and illegal immigration.
Her remarks came just hours after she joined Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in New York City Tuesday morning to carry out an arrest operation.
Speaking to staff back in Washington in the afternoon, Noem reflected on the goal of the department, which brings responsibilities that include ensuring the nation’s security, including managing the country’s borders. She referred to its mission as being “big” and “vast,” noting that it is ultimately about leaving the country “safe for our kids and our grandkids far into the future.”
“We will be the first line of defense for anybody that's in the American homeland,” Noem proclaimed. “We will do everything that we can to protect the American people.”
The former South Dakota governor was confirmed by the Senate on Saturday by a 59-34 vote. Seven Democrats crossed over to join Republicans in backing her. She was officially sworn later that day into the role leading the department, created in 2002 and tasked with overseeing immigration services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, disaster response, cybersecurity and more.
Noem pledged to do everything she could to provide the needed resources to those carrying out the responsibility of keeping the homeland safe on a daily basis, committing that they will “walk through every single situation together.”
“I'll prepare you as much as I can for it, and we'll have the flexibility to make sure that we can always keep the American people first and foremost,” Noem declared.
She pledged a goal of always being “three steps ahead.”
Noem added that she was “thrilled” that Trump trusted her with the role, particularly given the president’s focus on border security and immigration.
“I love my job as governor of South Dakota, I love my home and my family,” she said. “I would not leave them to spend time away unless I was doing something of significance.”
Trump returned to power one week ago having pledged a swift and aggressive crusade to close the U.S.-Mexico border, reform immigration policies and carry out the “largest mass deportation program in history.” His campaign-trail promises came as polls showed such issues rising on the list of important ones to voters.
The president wasted no time making good on some, having already taken numerous executive actions on the topic, including declaring a national emergency at the Southern border, sending an additional 1,500 troops to help with the crackdown, ending birthright citizenship (which has been temporarily blocked by a judge), carrying out deportation flights using military aircraft and more.
Enforcement of Trump’s pledged crackdown appeared to ramp up over the last few days, with ICE reporting 956 arrests on Sunday, 1,179 on Monday and 969 on Tuesday. Trump’s border czar said enforcement efforts are currently focused on undocumented immigrants it considers to be public safety and national security threats.
Noem documented her experience joining an enforcement operation in New York City on Tuesday in a series of posts on X.
“We’re in New York City this morning, we’re getting the dirtbags off these streets,” Noem said in one video posted to her account.
