The Senate on Saturday approved the nomination of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), putting her at the center of an administration focused heavily on immigration.

The 59-34 vote to confirm Noem capped off a relatively smooth process even as other nominees face more intense scrutiny.

Six Democrats voted with Republicans to confirm Noem: Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Elissa Slotkin (Mich.).

Noem will lead one of the most sprawling agencies in government and one of particular importance in a Trump administration determined to crack down on immigration.

During his first week in office, President Trump signed a number of orders on immigration, taking steps to militarize the border and crack down on many legal pathways for immigrating to the U.S.

That included suspending refugee admissions and working to limit asylum another pathway for those fleeing danger and persecution.

He also sought to end birthright citizenship for children not born to U.S. citizens. While the order would apply to children of those unlawfully present, it could also impact those born to non-immigrant visas, such as those legally in the U.S. on work visas. It has already been challenged in court.

The nomination is a major win for Noem, a four-term congresswoman with little national security experience but who had been vocal on border issues as governor, sending the South Dakota National Guard to the southern border. She is slated to work closely with Tom Homan, who Trump tapped as his border czar.

It also solidifies her standing in MAGA circles after chatter about her serving as a potential running mate to Trump faltered amid the release of her book, in which she wrote about shooting a young dog she described as untrainable.

Noem earned the backing of those on both sides of the aisle despite the role she will play in a controversial policy area.

“Kristi brings experience and commitment to her new role,” Senate Majority John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the Senate floor on Friday. “One of the biggest challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security right now is securing our nation’s border. Four years of record breaking illegal immigration at our southern border has left our country vulnerable to a whole host of security concerns.”

“Fixing this crisis and restoring respect for the rule of law is one of President Trump and Republicans’ top priorities, and it’s going to require a decisive and committed leader at the Department of Homeland Security,” Thune continued. “I believe Kristi has everything it takes to undertake this task.” 

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the top Democrat of the Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee, said he was willing to back Noem due to her commitment to handling issues on a bipartisan basis.

“During her confirmation hearing, I pressed Governor Noem to set aside partisan ideologies and to follow the facts when it comes to the threats our communities face – whether we’re talking about securing our borders, foreign and domestic terrorism, or even increasingly devastating natural disasters,” he said in a statement when Noem advanced out of committee.

“Given her openness to working on a bipartisan basis to address these and other threats to our homeland security, I voted to advance her nomination out of committee and send it to the Senate floor for consideration.” 

The South Dakota governor was on track for a bipartisan confirmation after the panel approved her in a 13-2 tally on Monday.

Noem’s role will not just be limited to immigration. She will also oversee the numerous national security functions DHS controls, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and DHS’s Office of Intelligence Analysis.

DHS also oversees the Secret Service, which has come under increasing scrutiny following two attempts on Trump’s life.

The department also plays a key role in responding to cyberattacks through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Trump has also recently spoken about siphoning off another key DHS agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has come under fire as it has responded to a series of back-to-back natural disasters.

The confirmation marks the fourth national security nominee the Senate has green-lighted in Trump’s first week. The upper chamber unanimously and quickly approved Marco Rubio to lead the State Department before Democrats forced Republicans to run out the clock in order to confirm John Ratcliffe and Pete Hegseth to lead the CIA and Pentagon, respectively.