Homeland Security pick details immigration policy plans

Chris Johnson, CQ-Roll Call on Jan 17, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Kristi Noem on Friday sailed through a confirmation hearing to be the next secretary of Homeland Security, with responses on major issues related to illegal immigration, international terrorism and cybersecurity that were unlikely to erode what appears to be a solid backing from Republicans.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to vote Monday on advancing the South Dakota governor’s expected nomination to the Senate floor.

Noem gave some of the more definitive answers on high-profile initiatives issues related to immigration in response to questions from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

When Hawley asked whether she would discontinue the Biden administration CBP One app, criticized by opponents as giving migrants a way to illegally enter the United States, Noem signaled that would happen on her first day in office.

“Yes, senator, if confirmed, and I have the opportunity to be secretary, on day one, CBP One will be shut down,” Noem said. “There’s data and information in there that we will preserve, that we can make sure we know who’s coming into this country and who’s already here that we need to go find.”

Also on the chopping block is the CHNV program, which allows entry of nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Noem voluntarily brought up that initiative to Hawley, saying “there’s several of these programs that need to be eliminated.”

Hawley called CHNV a “mass parole program” that exceeds the government’s authority under immigration law. Hawley said the law allows parole “in only very limited circumstances,” which he said requires case-by-case evaluation and is not practiced by the Biden administration.

Noem said DHS would “go back to case-by-case evaluation of these parole cases,” in addition to ensuring the existence of more immigration judges and courts, “so that we can process legally and make sure that they are going through that process, rather than what Joe Biden has done, use this as an excuse to allow people to come into our country with no consequences.”

Noem also told Hawley she would reinstate the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” program, which required asylum-seekers to remain outside of the U.S. border as their claims are processed.

“Yes, senator, the president and I have talked extensively about this and we’ll 100 percent partner with him to reinstate the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy and make sure it’s in place,” Noem said.

The largely anodyne, two-and-a-half hour long hearing was characterized by Noem being polished but sometimes opaque in response to questions from committee members.

The most contentious moment came in the final moments, when Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., queried Noem about the widely criticized separation policy of migrant families during the first Trump administration and whether she would support legislation he introduced seeking to reunite them.

Noem would have none of it: “Senator, the Trump administration never had a family separation policy. They had a zero tolerance which said that our laws would be followed.”

Noem tried to turn the table on Blumenthal, blaming the Biden administration for the loss of 300,000 migrant children who were in the custody in the U.S. government. That number is often cited by Republicans as evidence the Biden administration is negligent in immigration policy, although immigration advocates don’t have the same concerns and say children those critics label as missing are actually in the homes of sponsor families.

Blumenthal, who didn’t get an answer to his question on his legislation, pointed out his time was expiring but urged her to “put aside the labels.”

At times, Democrats on the committee sought to drive a wedge between Noem and the president-elect. Blumenthal asked Noem if she would stand up to President-elect Donald Trump and say no if he tried to deny disaster relief to state and localities based on their political beliefs, pointing out the president-elect’s recent criticism of California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the Los Angeles wildfires and comments about Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., similarly asked Noem whether she’d stand up to Trump if sent in federal officers to address an emergency without the coordination of state and local authorities.

In an exchange with Blumenthal, Noem said she declined to answer hypotheticals.

“Sir, I don’t know about the scenarios that you’re referencing with President Trump, but I will tell you that, if given the chance to be secretary of Homeland Security, that I will deliver the programs according to the law and that it will be done with no political bias,” Noem said.

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