But Noem, 52, will be front and center implementing Trump’s immigration policies, including his pledge to mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a key plank of the new president’s second-term agenda.

Any effort to remove millions of immigrants from the U.S. faces many obstacles, including basic logistics involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ability to find and remove these people, legal challenges, financing issues, and the willingness of other countries (primarily Mexico, Guatemala) to remove them. is across. El Salvador and Honduras – accepting repatriation of people.

Some countries, such as China, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, did not always accept deportation flights.

Trump made progress in his first term, but ultimately struggled to deliver on his promises to build or build a large-scale wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. During his first term, the number of deportations never exceeded 360,000 per year; It was below levels seen under former President Barack Obama.

Trump’s deportation plans will likely begin by targeting the more than 1 million people in the United States who have no legal basis to remain in the country because they have committed crimes or have exhausted their appeals.

Among the many DHS secretaries, both acting and confirmed, during Trump’s first term are John Kelly, a leading critic of the president-elect; Kirstjen Nielsen, who was ousted due to her frustration with advancing Trump’s immigration policies; and Chad Wolf.

Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has served as a lightning rod for criticism of the administration’s handling of border security and the increase in crossings. The Republican-led House in 2024 made him the first cabinet member to be impeached in more than a century.

Like Trump’s other picks so far, Noem is a staunch loyalist to Trump and his MAGA movement. At one point in the campaign he was seen as a potential vice presidential candidate, but controversy over his admission in a book that he shot his own 14-month-old dog led to widespread criticism and ridicule that damaged his candidacy.

Noem nevertheless continued to actively campaign on Trump’s behalf and spoke at the Republican National Convention, where she was officially nominated days after an assassination attempt.