South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), President-elect Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is set to appear for her confirmation hearing before a Senate panel on Friday.
The purview of DHS involves immigration and federal emergency management — two hot-button topics. Immigration was one of Trump’s signature issues and has been a top priority for Republicans in the new Congress, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which falls under DHS, has been in the spotlight since Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the southeastern U.S. and historic fires broke out in California.
Also on Friday, the Senate is poised to vote on cloture for the Laken Riley Act, an immigration bill that has split Democrats.
The measure, named after a Georgia college student who was killed in February by a man who had crossed into the U.S. without permission, would mandate federal detention of immigrants without legal status accused of theft, burglary and other related crimes. It is poised to be the first bill passed by the Republican-controlled Congress, but has also earned the support of a number of Democrats in both chambers.
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