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Secretary Noem: “We Will Utilize All Legal Powers to Safeguard Our Homeland”


Secretary Kristi Noem of the Department of Homeland Security pledged to collaborate closely with staff to keep the American public as the top priority.

On January 28, Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as Americans’ “first line of defense,” will explore all legal options to ensure the safety of the United States.

Addressing department personnel for the first time, Noem emphasized, “I tell people, we have jurisdiction over everything, and we will utilize all legal authorities at our disposal to safeguard this country, as it represents the last beacon of freedom.”

“We woke up this morning more fortunate than 99 percent of the world because we awoke in the United States of America. We inhabit a nation where we can exercise our freedoms, and that responsibility has been entrusted to us. I am confident that everyone in this room and the wider department is ready to meet the challenge ahead,” Noem remarked.

Confirmed as DHS secretary by the Senate on January 26, Noem was sworn in hours later by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, becoming the eighth person to hold this position.

Noem steps into this role during a critical moment for the department, where she will oversee President Donald Trump’s aggressive approach to illegal immigration. The former governor of South Dakota is tasked with fulfilling one of Trump’s key campaign promises: executing the largest deportation operation in American history.

Noem explained that she was appointed by Trump because she expressed her interest in the position.

“I expressed my desire to be the Secretary of Homeland Security, Sir, as it is your top priority. I cherish my role as governor of South Dakota and my family. I would not leave them unless I was undertaking something of significant importance,” Noem recounted.

She assured that she would do everything necessary to ensure that department personnel are well-prepared to fulfill their objectives.

“I am committed to all of you that we will navigate through every scenario together, and I will equip you as best as I can, and we will maintain the agility necessary to keep the American people as our priority,” she affirmed.

Her comments followed an early morning immigration enforcement operation in New York that resulted in at least one arrest.

A video of the operation, which Noem shared on social media, shows a male suspect being led from a building in handcuffs by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

“A criminal alien charged with kidnapping, assault, and burglary is now in custody—thanks to @ICE,” Noem posted on X. “Individuals like this will be removed from our streets.”

According to Noem, DHS has apprehended thousands of criminal aliens within the week following Trump’s inauguration, including convicted murderers, rapists, child abusers, drug traffickers, MS-13 gang affiliates, and cartel members.

On January 29, Trump is scheduled to hold a signing ceremony at the White House for the Laken Riley Act. This new legislation will mandate federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with offenses such as theft, burglary, shoplifting, or assaults that cause injury or death.

The signing will mark the first bill Trump enacts during his new administration.



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