President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Homeland Security secretary portrayed illegal immigration as an "invasion" and the U.S.-Mexico border as a "war zone" during a U.S. Senate confirmation on Friday where she pledged to back Trump's hard line on immigration.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, faced senators Friday at confirmation hearing that will be her first chance to lay out her vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s advancement to the cusp of confirmation as a Trump cabinet secretary probably surprised some people who thought her career ended nine months ago with a notoriously disastrous book release.

Noem's role as Homeland Security secretary is expected to be more limited in scope than her predecessors’, sources familiar with the Trump transition tell NBC News.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem served in Congress during Trump’s first administration and sent the National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border.

The farmer and small-business owner turned elected official has made headlines for being a possible vice presidential candidate and killing an "untrainable" dog.

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, the smallest in the state, also congratulated the GOP governor on her nomination to be Trump's homeland security secretary.

Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), vowed to prioritize border security should she be confirmed.

During her testimony, Noem described the Department of Homeland Security as “broken and dysfunctional.” She emphasized the need for reforms that would enable the department to operate more effectively. Her straight talk about these issues resonated with many, and it’s clear she has some big ideas to tackle these challenges head-on.

Fox News' Chad Pergram reports on the timeline for a possible Noem confirmation to the Department of Homeland Security as the delayed Senate hearing kicks off on Capitol Hill.

Governor Kristi Noem's Senate confirmation highlighted likely policy on the way for the Department of Homeland Security.