President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, multiple news outlets reported Tuesday, where she’ll have broad jurisdiction over immigration enforcement and federal disaster response.
Noem — who served in the U.S. House following her 2010 election until she became governor in 2019 — is no stranger to Washington. If confirmed by the Senate, she’ll take the helm of a massive department with more than 260,000 employees.
That department includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency charged with responding to disasters including hurricanes and wildfires. FEMA’s response to the hurricanes that pummeled the Southeast became flash points in the presidential campaign.
Here are five things to know about the South Dakota governor who’s now poised to join Trump’s Cabinet:
