‘It Will Be Shut Down… These Programs Need to be Eliminated’ [WATCH]

Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security, pledged during her Senate confirmation hearing to end the controversial CBP One app and associated migrant parole programs.

Noem outlined her plans to tighten border security and overhaul immigration processes during testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.

When asked by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) whether the southern border is currently secure, Noem responded decisively.

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“Senator, no, the southern border is not secure today. But in just three days, we will have a new president in this country, President Donald J. Trump. And he will secure our border,” she stated.

Noem confirmed that she would shut down the CBP One app on her first day in office.

The app, initially launched during Trump’s first term to facilitate cargo inspections, was expanded in 2023 to allow migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry.

The Biden-Harris administration used the app as part of its expanded “lawful pathways” for migration, paroling over 936,500 individuals into the U.S. by the end of December.

“Yes, Senator, if confirmed and I have the opportunity to be secretary, on day one CBP One will be shut down,” Noem told Hawley.

However, she noted that data collected through the app would be preserved to track individuals entering the country.

Noem also addressed the parole process for nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), which allows up to 30,000 individuals per month to enter the U.S. after a vetting process.

The program began with Venezuelans in October 2022 and was expanded in January 2023 to include the other nationalities.

By December, approximately 531,000 people had entered the U.S. through this process.

Critics have described the parole programs as a “concierge service” for mass migration, arguing they circumvent traditional immigration laws.

Noem echoed these concerns, saying the federal government had even paid to fly individuals into the U.S. without adequate vetting.

“Several of these programs need to be eliminated, and we need to ensure that we’re following legal immigration laws,” Noem said.

Noem also committed to reforming the parole system, emphasizing a return to case-by-case evaluations. She called for more immigration judges and courts to process cases legally and efficiently.

“We will go back to case-by-case evaluation of these parole cases and ensure that we have more resources, if you will partner with us, to make sure that our legal immigration system is fully utilized,” Noem said.

BOOM: Trump’s DHS Secretary Nominee Kristi Noem says she will SHUT DOWN the CBP 1 app and secret flights for illegals:

“It will be shut down. There’s data we will preserve so that we can go find these people. These programs need to be ELIMINATED” pic.twitter.com/94sMOPi6T4

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 17, 2025

She criticized the Biden-Harris administration for using parole programs as a way to allow mass migration “with no consequences.”

If confirmed, Noem will oversee the Department of Homeland Security during a period of significant enforcement actions.

The department is expected to initiate a historic mass deportation operation targeting illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Additionally, efforts to enhance security at both the southern and northern borders are expected to intensify.

Noem will work closely with Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who was recently appointed as the “border czar” to lead the deportation operation and border security initiatives.

Noem’s confirmation marks a critical step in the Trump administration’s immigration and border security agenda, with sweeping changes expected to take place in the coming weeks.

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