President-elect Trump announced Tuesday that it has tapped South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that handles border security, emergency relief and cybersecurity.

In his announcement Tuesday night, Trump highlighted Noem’s moves as governor to send National Guard troops to the southern Texas border, arguing that she is “very strong” on border security.

“She will work closely with ‘Border Guy’ Tom Homan to secure the border and ensure that our American homeland is protected from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects. She will be a big part of our mission to make America safe again,” Trump said in a statement.

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South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem gestures as she speaks at the Calvin Coolidge Foundation conference at the Library of Congress February 17, 2023 in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Noem said she was “honoured and humbled” by the selection.

“With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so families can once again have the opportunity to live out the American dream,” she said.

Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of the state in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. She has three children with her husband, Byron.

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Noem’s selection came as a surprise to some political observers, but a source familiar with the appointment told Fox News Digital Noem set a precedent for other states by sending National Guard troops, rather than more general assistance, to the border. She also brings experience from other parts of the agency’s mission.

Noem banned TikTok from state-owned devices in 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has one of the best cyber facilities in the country, and cybersecurity is South Dakota’s fastest-growing industry, an expansion Noem encourages. The governor’s website says the state invested $90 million to equip DSU to expand cyber programs and allow high school students to take courses for college credit. The state said last year the sector added thousands of jobs in a few years and grew by 25 percent.

Noem has extensive experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the state dealt with flooding, including in June, when the state experienced record flooding. FEMA has drawn controversy over its handling of hurricanes this year and is likely to come under significant scrutiny in the coming months and years.

A group claiming to be from India stands in the shadow of the border wall to be picked up by the Border Patrol after coming through the border fence in the Tucson sector of the U.S.-Mexico border, Aug. 29, 2023, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Lukeville, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

On border security, Noem advocated a pause in accepting migrants from terrorism hotspots. As governor, she pledged in 2021 to stop taking in immigrants from the Biden administration. She is particularly aligned with President-elect Trump on border security and prioritizing national security and public safety threats for deportations, a source told Fox News Digital.

“My message to illegal immigrants is — Call me when you’re American,” she said on Facebook in 2021.

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Noah in brief sparked controversy this year, when he revealed in a memoir that he shot and killed a family dog ​​he said had become a danger to people.

While her appointment came as a surprise to some, she received the support of prominent figures, including the former acting DHS secretary. Chad Wolf.

“Governor Noem is a fantastic choice,” he said. “She was a successful governor and she leaned forward and helped support the border security mission with the National Guard. He also has extensive experience working with FEMA in natural disasters. I’m sure he will succeed.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbottwho was on the front lines of the crisis, said it was an “excellent selection”.

“Governor Noem is a border hawk who worked with me to secure the Texas border,” he told X.

“She has a no-nonsense, rule-of-law approach that will repair America from the carnage caused by Biden’s open border policies.”

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The pick comes after a number of other sought-after appointments in the Trump administration. This week, he announced the former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tom Homan will be the “frontier tsar”.

On Wednesday, Trump formally announced that Stephen Miller, who has led much of Trump’s first-term immigration policy, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser.