In choosing South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his homeland security secretary, President-elect Donald Trump is tapping a long-time loyalist to helm an agency that’s expected to play a central role in his immigration crackdown.

Noem was widely ridiculed for admitting she shot and killed her family dog in her book published earlier this year.

The DHS secretary is key to Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda. He has pledged mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and a crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border.