Political tensions and questions swirling around the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) promise to be a key test for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) as she takes over the department that houses the agency.

Governors and state legislatures may have to bolster their natural disaster response and recovery efforts in the coming years as President Donald Trump looks for ways to shift the federal government’s role onto states.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security, vowed to overhaul FEMA's disaster response times, enforce stricter in-office policies and eliminate political bias in relief efforts during her confirmation hearing.

The state of South Dakota has received notice that it could be sued by McCook Lake property owners, who say their community suffered catastrophic damage as a direct result of flood diversion efforts carried out by state and local officials.

The two term South Dakota Gov. was tapped by Trump in Nov. and will be key in enacting the new president's mass deportation plan.

The former South Dakota governor was confirmed as the next secretary of Homeland Security in a 59-34 vote on Saturday.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been confirmed as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a Senate vote on Saturday morning.

The Senate confirmed Kristi Noem as the Homeland Security Secretary, putting her in charge of crucial national security operations and President Donald Trump's immigration policies, specifically targeting illegal immigration.

The Senate confirmed Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security on Saturday with some Democrats backing the South Dakota governor's nomination. The chamber voted 59-34 to confirm Noem who will head up a federal agency that will be at the forefront of President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.

Kristi Noem, the current Secretary of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump's administration, spearheaded a series of large-scale operations

The South Dakota House has approved a bill denying eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines like one Summit is planning to build there and in Iowa