Border Patrol union offers enthusiastic endorsement for Kristi Noem to lead DHS

The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), a labor union representing thousands of Border Patrol agents, is strongly endorsing President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and is urging the Senate to confirm her “quickly.”

"On behalf of the men and women of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) who protect our nation's borders, we are excited to provide our support for … Noem, to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security," National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez wrote in a letter to Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., the chair and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, respectively. 

The letter, which was sent on Thursday, followed other law enforcement groups’ endorsements of Noem. The DHS portfolio also includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to Fox News. 

The NBPC represents about 18,000 Border Patrol agents. In their letter to Senators Paul and Peters they wrote that she has shown her ability to "get things done," whether at home in South Dakota, or nationally, such as when she provided assistance to Texas’ "Operation Lone Star" to help secure the southern border. 

"Governor Noem is a seasoned leader who knows how to get things done – not only as chief executive of her home state but also in Washington, DC, where she served with distinction and integrity in the U.S. House of Representatives," Perez wrote in the letter.

"Governor Noem was the first governor to deploy National Guard personnel to the border in Texas to support Operation Lone Star. This deployment bolstered our resources at a critical time along the border and helped to protect Texans and Americans alike."

When Trump nominated Noem last month, he accompanied it with a ringing endorsement: "Kristi has been very strong on Border Security. She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times. She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years, and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects – She will be a great part of our mission to Make America Safe Again."