Kristi Noem: Detaining And Deporting Dangerous Criminal Aliens Remains The Top Priority

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on Sunday that the mass deportation of illegal aliens with criminal records remains the Trump administration’s top priority.

“You know, if you look at what we are doing today of targeting the worst of the worst, we’ve been very clear on that. The priority of this president is to go after criminal aliens that are making our streets more dangerous,” she stated.

“After that, we have final removal orders on many individuals in this country. They are the next priority, and we’ll continue to work through,” Noem continued.

Noem went on to add that the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) operations were well received by American citizens who want dangerous criminals out of their neighborhoods.

“The people walking by us on the streets were thanking our officers. They were thanking these investigators and those that were taking these dangerous criminals out for being there, for making sure that they could walk their kids to school with a new confidence that they could get there safely and that they could do business and have their community back,” she added.

Noem’s comments came after President Donald Trump announced that 30,000 “high-priority criminal aliens” would be housed at Guantanamo Bay “to provide additional detention space.”

“Clearly this President has said that it will hold the worst of the worst, that we are going after those bad actors. This last week, I was in New York City. We were going after people that had warrants out for their arrest on murders and rapes, assaults, gun purchases, drug trafficking,” she stated.

Kristi Noem officially announces that Guantanamo Bay will be used to lock up the worst of the illegal aliens during the deportation process.

GOOD!pic.twitter.com/B46oyvRbtH

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) February 2, 2025

Throughout Noem’s interview, she was asked whether illegal immigrants would be held at Guantanamo Bay indefinitely.

“That is not the plan. The plan is to have a process that we follow that’s laid out in law and make sure that we’re dealing with these individuals appropriately according to what the state and the national lawsuit — or law directs,” she responded. “So we will work with Congress to make sure that we’re addressing our legal immigration laws and using Guantanamo Bay appropriately. But it is an asset that we have that we fully intend to utilize.”

Noem added that “Due process will be followed,” despite previously being suspended, and that she appreciates “the partnership of the DoD in getting that up to the level that it needs to get to in order to facilitate this repatriation of people back to their country.”

Guantanamo Bay facilities have been utilized to house individuals charged with or convicted of war crimes from the September 11^th, 2001 attacks along with other international terror attacks.

The facility is currently housing 15 detainees.

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