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Senators press Kristi Noem on border staffing, CBP One, parole programs and Remain-in-Mexico
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Summary
At her Jan. 17 confirmation hearing, Governor Kristi Noem pledged to prioritize border security, promised to end the CBP One mobile app if confirmed, to pursue reinstatement of Remain in Mexico and to return to case-by-case parole decisions; senators asked for commitments on northern-border staffing and southbound inspections.
Senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee spent significant portions of Kristi Noem’s confirmation hearing focused on border security and immigration programs.
Multiple senators asked Noem to commit to staffing and resourcing the northern border as well as the southern one. “Do you commit to working with me to fully build out the northern border mission center?” asked Senator Gary Peters, referencing the Gordie Howe International Bridge and recent appropriations; Noem replied, “Yes, senator. We will look forward and I look forward to working with you to ensure that that is a priority and that it's adequately resourced.”
On policies widely discussed at the hearing, Noem pledged specific actions if confirmed. She told Senator Johnson she would “100% partner with [the president] to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy,” and she told the committee she would “shut down” the CBP One application “on day 1,” preserving underlying data but ending the program’s use. She also said mass parole programs would be replaced by “case by case evaluation” and that she would seek congressional partnership to increase immigration courts and judges to process cases more quickly.
Noem described South Dakota’s approach when federal policy, she said, did not meet state needs: she deployed the state National Guard to the southern border eight times under state activation and said some deployments were under Title 32. She said the state deployed Lakota helicopters for surveillance and drug interdiction and that those actions reflected the state’s response to what she termed “an invasion” at the southern border.
Senators from border states pressed for nuance in implementation. Senator Maggie Hassan and others emphasized the need to balance security and lawful movement of people and goods, particularly at northern ports of entry, and to ensure technology investments do not impede legal trade. Senator Jon Tester and others urged focus on southbound inspections to interdict cash and weapons that strengthen cartels; Noem endorsed technological investments at ports of entry, scanners and satellite-enabled surveillance for areas where infrastructure is difficult to build.
Committee members also raised concerns about data and oversight: senators requested follow-up information on numbers cited during testimony and on the staffing plans Noem proposed for northern-border mission centers and for increased inspections. Noem committed to work with members of the committee and to provide information as part of the confirmation process.
