President-elect Trump announced on Tuesday that Kristi Noem is his pick for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Attention is already turning to 2026, when South Dakota will elect a new governor as well as hold races for U.S. Senate.

If Noem is confirmed by the Senate, she will be in charge of immigration enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump demonstrates his dedication to border security by tapping the governor of a state with no international borders to run Homeland Security.

U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as that chamber’s next majority leader during a closed-door, secret ballot election. When Thune takes over in January, it will mark the first time since 2007 that Kentucky Sen.

Kristi Noem will be in charge of implementing Trump’s policies on immigration, including his pledge to carry out mass deportations of undocumented migrants, one of the key elements of the incoming president’s second term agenda.

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Donald Trump nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to helm the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump-Vance transition said Tuesday.

Trump, in a statement, cited Noem’s strong background in securing the border for the appointment as the Republican looks to crack down on illegal immigration.

Thune, who is 63 and in his fourth Senate term, has promised to work closely with President-elect Donald Trump despite differences between the two over the years.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune hailed his election as the next Senate Majority Leader Wednesday, vowing to work to enact Donald Trump's agenda and serve "the entire Republican conference" despite past differences with the president-elect.