Rand Paul offers support for Trump immigration agenda, Noem as DHS chief

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he would prioritize South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security once President-elect Trump takes office in January.

“My first order of business will be getting her confirmed, and I plan on trying to do that either the day of the inauguration or that week,” Paul, a ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told John Catsimatidis on “Cats Roundtable.".

Despite Paul’s support of Noem, he has strongly opposed using the military to carry out deportation efforts, although he has spoken in favor of removing people who are here illegally and have committed crimes.

“They’re not trained to get a warrant to do what they’re doing. The police have a difficult job, but the people removing people from our country need to be a police enforcement domestic agency, not the military,” Paul said on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight" last month.

Trump has declared he will use every avenue possible to deport illegal immigrants. 

Trump transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the president-elect “will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families.”

In lieu of Paul’s disagreement, he has still offered staunch support for Noem, who previously advocated for sending the National Guard to the South Dakota border.

“We sent our guard because they're used to the war zone that they're gonna see down there at the border,” she said in 2021 after deploying the National Guard.

“They're prepared and trained for it and they can deal with it.”

Over the past four years, she’s sent the armed forces to the border numerous times to handle illegal crossings. Her latest order was issued in February.

“The border is a warzone, so we’re sending soldiers,” Noem said. “These soldiers’ primary mission will be construction of a wall to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, drug cartels, and human trafficking into the United States of America.”