November 13, 2017

On October 11, 2017, President Trump nominated Kirstjen Nielsen to lead the Department of Homeland Security. She vowed to focus on border infrastructure but recognized that the current proposal to build a wall along the entire border with Mexico was impractical. She stated that as the secretary, she would seek technological solutions and work closely with the Border Patrol and other agencies to determine where a wall is actually needed.

During her confirmation hearing, Nielsen was harshly questioned by Senate Democrats because of her inexperience and on how she would carry out the current Administration’s agenda on immigration. She previously served on Bush’s Administration at his Homeland Security Council, designing a national action plan in response to domestic incidents and providing support on lessons from the bungled federal response to Hurricane Katrina.