U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is one of the most visible members of President Donald Trump's second administration, leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is in charge of eliminating cross-border crime and illegal immigration.
Born in South Dakota, Noem dropped out of college in 1994 to take over her family's farm following her father's death. She was 22 years old, married, eight months pregnant and months away from graduation. Nearly two decades later, Noem graduated with a major in political science while serving in Congress.
In 2019, she became the 33rd governor of South Dakota. She remained in that office until joining Trump's administration in January 2025.
In her current role, Noem has been both the target and purveyor of several rumors — some of which are true and others false. Here are eight that Snopes has fact-checked.
