By Steve Neavling
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was briefly hospitalized Tuesday after an allergic reaction, according to a statement from the department.
“She is alert and recovering,” said department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, who added that the visit was made out of an “abundance of caution,” the Associated Press reports.
Noem, 53, oversees a department of about 260,000 employees and has been one of the more visible figures in former President Donald Trump’s cabinet, often taking part in immigration raids and encouraging undocumented immigrants to voluntarily leave the country.
Last week, Noem held a press conference in California where U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed by Secret Service agents after attempting to speak to her about immigration enforcement. Video shows an agent grabbing Padilla by his jacket, shoving him from the room, and pinning him to the ground in the hallway. The Secret Service later accused Padilla of engaging in “disrespectful political theater,” and claimed they believed he was an “attacker.” Padilla recounted the incident in an emotional Senate floor speech Tuesday.
Noem told Fox LA she later had a “great” conversation with the senator but criticized his approach.
A former two-term governor of South Dakota and member of Congress, Noem was appointed to lead Homeland Security after requesting the role from Trump. She has said the department reflects his top priorities.
Earlier this year, Noem’s purse — containing $3,000 in cash, her ID, passport, and Homeland Security badge — was stolen while she was out with her family on Easter Sunday. A suspect was later arrested and charged with identity theft, robbery, and fraud in federal court.
