A Native American tribe in South Dakota withdrew its expulsion Republican Gov. Kristi Noem in a letter Wednesday, authorizing his nomination to serve as secretary of Homeland Security, Fox News Digital has learned.
The president of the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe, Tony Reider, wrote to Noem on Wednesday informing him that the tribe's executive committee had voted to “remove the balance” placed on Noem in May and congratulated him on his selection to serve in President-elect Trump's cabinet.
The letter comes just days before Noem is scheduled to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for his confirmation hearing.
“I congratulate you on your nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to the position of Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, and I therefore support your nomination. I wish you the best of luck during your Senate confirmation hearing on on January 17, 2025, and believe that your dedication to the safety and security of the United States will benefit us all,” Reider's letter said, according to a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota and President Trump's nominee for secretary of Homeland Security, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., not pictured, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Dec. 11, 2024. (Getty Images)
All nine native tribes of South Dakota banned Noem from their posts last year after being angered by his suggestion that tribal leaders benefit from cartels and the immigration problem and comments about the future of indigenous children. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was the last tribe to stop him.
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“Their children have no hope. They don't have parents who show up and help them. They have a tribal council or a president who is more focused on political agendas than they care about helping people's lives look better, ” Noem said last year when he made comments that were criticized by the tribes.
Reider addressed this issue in his letter to Noem Wednesday, explaining that the governor apologized for his previous words and expressed his feelings.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks in front of former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, taking the stage during the Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
“One of the terms of the dismissal was that you apologize for comments made about tribal members and tribal children's education that were considered offensive by some. In meetings many before and after the decision was passed, you not only explained your position, but apologized if the comment offended the tribe, also wanted advice on how to talk about the discussion. such, which the tribe and I appreciate.
SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR QUESTION TRIBES BLAST THAT LEADERS BENEFIT FROM DRUG CARRIERS.
Badlands National Park in South Dakota (Bernie Friel/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The letter comes while Noem is getting ready for him Senate confirmation hearing Friday morning.
Trump announced Noem as his choice to lead DHS shortly after him decision victory over Kamala Harrisciting the Republican governor's efforts to secure the southern border, which have been defeated by illegal crossings under the Biden administration.
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To months since his appointmentNoem has taken contracts from at least eight police groups or unions, including the union that represents thousands of Border Patrol agents.
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry also asked the lawmakers of the Senate, especially the Democrats, to quickly confirm Noem after the terrorist attack that rocked New Orleans on New Year's Day.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, the largest Democratic organization of firefighters, recently agreed with Noem, arguing during the devastating fire in Los Angeles he “understood the emergency management and the importance of the response of the ' government in natural and man-made emergencies.”