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WHO: Kristi Noem

Nominated for: secretary of homeland security

You may know her from: Served two terms as governor of South Dakota

More information about Nome:

What does this role do: Advises the President on security issues within the United States. Responsible for immigration and border-related issues; Coast Guard; Federal Emergency Management Agency; counterterrorism; aviation security; and cybersecurity. Manages more than 250,000 employees.

To watch Noem's Senate confirmation begin at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, click here:

Noem will lead the department, which will be at the center of Trump's immigration policy priorities, including any efforts on deportations, visa changes and border security.

She was one of the first Cabinet picks announced by Trump a week after his election victory.

"She will work closely with 'Border Czar' Tom Homan to secure the border and keep our American homeland safe from our enemies," Trump said in a statement at the time. Homan and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is expected to draft and direct immigration policy at the White House, which will be implemented through the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies.

After winning the nomination, Noem spent several days last month meeting with Republican lawmakers to discuss issues such as border security.

"I appreciate the president's care on this issue and I know he wants the law to be followed, so I will work with him to achieve his vision," she told reporters on Capitol Hill.

For example, she expressed support for Trump's idea of ​​ending birthright citizenship, despite the constitutional issues involved.

What Noem Might Be Asked

If confirmed, Noem would oversee more than 260,000 federal employees at agencies including the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency and various agencies that enforce immigration and border laws.

Immigration will be the top issue during the hearings. As a congressman, Noem supported many of Trump's immigration policies, including a 2017 executive order banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

In 2020, Noem allowed her state to opt into the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, which helps refugees entering the United States settle in the country.

Over the past four years, Noem has positioned himself as tough on the southern border and drug trafficking by deploying South Dakota National Guard members to the Texas-Mexico border.

She also sparked controversy last year. She claimed in a speech that cartels from south of the border were using tribal reservations to "spread drugs throughout the Midwest," with tribal leaders benefiting. Her comments led to her expulsion from land owned by nine tribes in the state.

As a potential new leader of the federal national disaster relief effort, Noem is also likely to face questions about her state's handling of devastating floods; her response has been criticized for not dispatching the state's National Guard, failing to issue evacuation orders and delaying an emergency declaration. was criticized for the request.