Topline
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was hospitalized Tuesday following an allergic reaction, according to assistant DHS secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who said Noem is recovering.
Noem was hospitalized Tuesday. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Key Facts
Noem was transported to a hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” McLaughlin told Forbes in an email.
Noem is alert and recovering from the reaction, McLaughlin added, though it remains unclear what caused it.
CNN, which first reported the hospitalization, said it observed multiple Secret Service agents standing outside the emergency room of the hospital Noem was admitted to.
Key Background
Noem, 53, is the former governor of South Dakota and was confirmed for her role as DHS secretary in January. Noem has been a key figure in President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies, overseeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. She has supported Trump’s contested use of the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law, to deport over 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center. Noem has advocated for mass deportations that have recently been the focal point of nationwide protests challenging Trump’s executive powers.
Further Reading
Who Is Kristi Noem? What To Know About Trump’s Likely DHS Secretary—And Her Immigration Stances (Forbes)
