Senators voted 61-39 for cloture on President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the federal agency responsible for border protection, disaster response and cybersecurity. A final confirmation vote is expected 11:30 a.m. Eastern Saturday.
Appearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs last week, Noem said “border security must remain a top priority.”
“As a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm, and we must create a fair and a lawful immigration system that is efficient and is effective and that reflects our values,” she said.
If confirmed, Noem will be pivotal in carrying out Trump’s immigration crackdown. The president kick-started those efforts shortly after he took office Monday.
In part of a barrage of executive orders this week, Trump moved to end birthright citizenship in the United States. But on Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the plan, which was met with a flurry of legal challenges.
Trump also declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and earlier this week, the Pentagon said it would immediately send 1,500 active duty troops to secure the area.
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