The vote comes after all Republican senators, joined by eight Democrats, broke a filibuster on the South Dakota governor’s cabinet nomination Friday night.

The Senate confirmed Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary on Saturday by a 59-34 vote, putting the former South Dakota governor in charge of a sprawling agency that is essential to national security and President Donald Trump's plans to clamp down on illegal immigration.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s stepped-up arrests continued Tuesday, with newly sworn-in Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem personally taking part in an operation targeting New York City. The New York operation Tuesday morning was part of a broader pattern of highly publicized ICE arrests starting last week targeting “sanctuary cities” that have passed local policies limiting cooperation with federal deportation efforts.