WASHINGTON − Kristi Noem, the Governor of South Dakota, may not have to address the incident involving her late hunting dog Cricket during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday. However, the President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will likely encounter tough inquiries regarding her plans for managing one of the country’s largest and most critical federal agencies.

If the Senate approves her nomination, Noem would play a pivotal role in Trump’s mission to fulfill his campaign promises of securing the border, curtailing illegal crossings from Mexico and Canada, and halting the influx of dangerous fentanyl into the United States.

As the head of DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Noem would be influential in Trump’s aims to deport potentially millions of undocumented individuals currently residing in the U.S.

Noem, aged 52, is set to testify at 9 a.m. on Friday before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Strong backing from Republicans for Kristi Noem

Noem enjoys widespread support among Republicans, and she will be introduced by new Senate Majority Leader John Thune, also a South Dakotan, along with Sen. Kevin Cramer from North Dakota and Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus, as per the committee’s website.

“Ensuring border security and curbing illegal immigration is a top Republican priority, and I have complete confidence that Kristi is the right choice,” Thune tweeted after discussing Noem’s nomination last month.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a leading Democrat on the committee, expressed that he has many questions for Noem following their meeting, particularly whether she supports the controversial Family Separation Policy that “horrified” Republicans during Trump’s first term.

“Governor Noem was not fully forthcoming on several issues,” Blumenthal from Connecticut stated, “and I genuinely hope to gain further insight during her forthcoming confirmation hearing.”

Though Noem does not represent a border state, she has advocated for consequences against Democratic-led ‘sanctuary cities’ that offer protection to undocumented migrants facing deportation. She has asserted that the Biden administration’s border policies have led to an “invasion” situation, while supporting the enhancement of the border wall and stricter vetting of refugees, according to the conservative Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Controversies involving Cricket, Kim and others

A devoted supporter of Trump, Noem garnered attention last year when she revealed in her 2024 autobiography “No Going Back” that she had to euthanize her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer for being “untrainable,” aggressively interacting with livestock, and attempting to bite her.

This action led to a bipartisan backlash, with the hashtag #PuppyKiller trending on the platform X. Some critics, including supporters like Donald Trump Jr., suggested it diminished her chances of being chosen as Trump’s running mate.

Noem defended her decision, asserting she was safeguarding her children and that the incident demonstrated her ability to make “difficult choices.”

That was not the only source of controversy.

Noem’s team had to correct multiple inaccuracies found in her book, including a fabricated story aimed at enhancing her foreign policy credentials, claiming she had met with the secretive North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, during her time in Congress.

She similarly faced criticism for sending the state National Guard to the southern border to address illegal immigration while residents of South Dakota were suffering from severe flooding last summer.

“Gov. Kristi Noem dispatched troops to Texas and charged us, the taxpayers of South Dakota. Yet she claimed it was too costly to utilize our guards to assist our own citizens during the flooding,” remarked Lee Schoenbeck, the outgoing state Senate President Pro Tem, on June 26 via X. “Where’s the logic in this contradiction???”

Schoenbeck refrained from commenting when asked if he believes Noem is fit to head DHS, stating, “I’ll leave that decision to the esteemed figures in Washington.”

Last summer, all nine South Dakota tribes officially expressed their disapproval towards Noem, after she made derogatory comments about Native American parents, suggesting their children “have no hope,” as reported by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the YSL News Network.

Tribal leaders were also frustrated with Noem for continuously alleging that Mexican drug cartels have a “presence” on South Dakota Indian reservations, according to the Argus Leader.

From the ranch in Pierre to Washington

Born and raised on a South Dakota ranch, Noem initiated her political career in the state House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 before stepping into Congress that same year. She made history as the state’s first female governor in 2018, was re-elected in 2022, and has consistently supported Trump throughout his legal issues and campaign trail last year.

Noem gained national recognition in November 2020 by announcing that she would not enforce a nationwide COVID lockdown or mask mandate if President Biden were to call for one. Additionally, her stance shifted regarding a bill aimed at preventing transgender girls and women from participating in female sporting events.

She has been an unwavering supporter of Trump’s stringent immigration policies.

When Trump publicized his selection for the DHS secretary on November 12, he praised Noem for her deployment of the state Guard to the southern border. He stated that she would collaborate closely with his newly appointed “border czar,” Tom Homan, to ensure security along the Mexican border which Trump claims is allowing dangerous criminals and narcotics into the United States.

A vast and intricate bureaucracy

With over 250,000 personnel, the DHS oversees a wide range of agencies, including Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

It also encompasses the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard.

Elaine Duke, former acting Homeland Security secretary who helped lead DHS under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, stated she is not well-acquainted with Noem’s qualifications to manage such an extensive bureaucracy.

However, Duke told YSL News that Noem might be able to apply the management skills from her governorship, similar to how former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano leveraged her experience as governor of Arizona during the Obama administration.

“Of course, that was a different state and a different individual,” Duke noted regarding Napolitano. “But she approached the role with a mindset focused on the budget while also striving to understand a mission that extends well beyond immigration, covering everything from the Coast Guard, which is the fifth military service, to FEMA, TSA, and cybersecurity.”

If approved, “I hope Kristi Noem will apply her gubernatorial experience in a comparable manner,” Duke remarked. “It is crucial that the DHS Secretary possesses strong operational and leadership skills, coming ready to navigate the complex workings of DHS.”