Trump picks South Dakota’s Noem for Homeland Security Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday appointed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security; During this period, the department plays a critical role in efforts to protect the Jewish community in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. borders and immigration policy, which will likely be Noem’s main focus in the role, given Trump’s prioritization of the issue.

But programs such as the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, other efforts to protect Jewish institutions and communities, operations to combat domestic and foreign terrorism on U.S. soil, and the agency responsible for protecting U.S. critical infrastructure and cyber networks all fall under DHS’s control. There is no broad responsibility for programs that address both antisemitism and domestic threats from Iran and other terrorist actors.

Noem touted her work to combat antisemitism in South Dakota, which is believed to have the nation’s smallest Jewish community with only one full-time rabbi. In March, he introduced a bill to combat antisemitism that would incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into state law.

Speaking at the bill signing ceremony, Noem said her staff worked hard to get the bill right and called it a potential model for other states. The majority of states have signed the IHRA coding legislation into law.

“The language that we have in this bill needs to be able to be used in courts and litigation, to be able to protect people and to stop hatred against members of our Jewish community in this country, so it was important to get this right,” Noem said.

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), who has strong ties to national Jewish groups, said Noem would be “remarkable in combating anti-Semitism.” “He is someone who truly believes in the cause.”

He said Noem, including her time in Congress, has “a long history of understanding the evil of anti-Semitism as well as the critical importance of the bilateral relationship between Israel and the United States.”

If the department’s energy and funding are largely directed to the border, it remains an open question how much focus antisemitism will receive.

In a potential warning sign, it appears difficult to secure increased funding for the NSGP from Congress in recent years in light of increasing resource demands at the southern border. The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee earlier this year recommended provisioning $305 million for the program in 2025. This figure is on par with that achieved in 2023, despite the huge increase in antisemitism since 7 October.

Johnson argued that Noem has shown herself to be an effective manager on a variety of issues and priorities as governor, and that DHS’s focus on border security will not prevent her from giving antisemitism due attention.

Stephen and Carol Rosenthal, leaders of South Dakota’s small Jewish community, have known Noem for years, dating back to her early days in Congress, and “have just had wonderful relationships with her,” Stephen Rosenthal told JI.

He said Noem’s “love for the Jewish people comes from her childhood, when her family prayed for Israel and the Jewish people.” He praised his work on the IHRA legislation, as well as the anti-boycott, Divestment and Sanctions executive order, and the anti-Iran bill.

“He has always been concerned that acts of anti-Semitism have no place here in our state,” Carol Rosenthal said. For example, a neo-Nazi group protested the IHRA bill in the state this year; The Rosenthals said Noem condemned the incident and had police intervene immediately.

Reform in Sioux Falls Mt. Jacob Forstein, president of Congregation Zion, said Noem has always “held the view that there is no reason for antisemitic statements or individuals to be in our state.” “He made that point very clearly.”

He called on him to continue combating hatred against every group, not just the Jewish community, in his expanded role.

Mt. Zion had received a federal security grant years ago, and Forstein noted that the application process became much more cumbersome in later years; He urged Noem to reduce red tape in this program so that small nonprofits without grant-writing staff can safely apply and win.

Mark Goldfeder, director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, which worked with Noem on the IHRA bill, said he was “thrilled with her appointment.”

“He was an absolute friend and ally of the Jewish community,” Goldfeder said. “I think he will bring wisdom, experience and know-how to this position.”

He said he heard from the local Chabad rabbi that Noem was working to ensure that Jewish institutions “always have what they need in terms of protection, in terms of additional security that they might need.”