WASHINGTON – During a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing to consider the nomination of Kristi Noem to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) questioned the nominee about her plans to address key issues impacting Arizona’s border communities, tribal sovereignty and the agricultural workforce. 

First, Senator Gallego asked Governor Noem to commit to maintaining the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), a critical funding source that ensures Arizona’s border communities are not left to pay for immigration influxes on their own. While Governor Noem acknowledged the importance of SSP, she would not commit to preserving the program.  

“I’m talking [about] communities of maybe 10,000 people [with] maybe only six or seven cops [that] are going to end up really bearing the brunt. We are not a big state. We can’t really compensate for those types of losses,” Senator Gallego said. “It’s that type of program that keeps these small communities afloat.” 

Read More: Gallego calls for migrant shelter law reform (The Hill)

Senator Gallego then pressed Noem about her commitment to working with tribes to implement border policies while respecting their sovereignty through collaborative efforts like the successful Shadow Wolves program.  

“The Shadow Wolves training opportunity is incredible, that was down in Arizona, that you spoke of too. And in looking into that program, I’d like to continue to build on that and perpetuate in the future, so that our tribes have an opportunity to have a secure border, but also have it reflect their values and their culture and have their own people be a part of the solution,” Gov. Noem said in response.   

Senator Gallego is committed to working across party lines to address immigration and Tribal issues, including implementing the Senator’s recently passed Native American Child Protection Act aimed at protecting Native children in child welfare systems. 

Finally, Senator Gallego questioned Noem about her plans to ensure safe and legal immigration processes for agricultural workers in the face of Trump’s mass deportation plans. 

“Talking to my agricultural community, my dairy community, they have concerns that this approach will lead to workforce shortages that will further drive up the costs of everything,” said Senator Gallego. 

“President Trump has been very clear that his priority is going to be deporting criminals, those who have broken law and perpetuated violence in our communities,” Gov. Noem said in response. “That will be the priority.” 

Watch the hearing here.