Kristi Noem

Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem (née Arnold; born November 30, 1971) is an American politician and diplomat serving as a senior advisor to the deputy secretary of state. She served as the United States special envoy for the Shield of the Americas in 2026. From 2025 to 2026, she served as the eighth United States secretary of homeland security. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2019 to 2025 as the 33rd governor of South Dakota and represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. During her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), her immigration policies generated controversies, particularly following the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).