President Trump nominated Kirstjen Nielsen, a deputy to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, to be Homeland Security secretary on Wednesday, filling the vacancy left by Kelly when he took his current post in late July.
"Ms. Nielsen has extensive professional experience in the areas of homeland security policy and strategy, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and emergency management," the White House said in a statement announcing the nomination.
Nielsen, 45, is currently a deputy to Kelly at the White House, a position she has held for about a month.
An attorney with experience in cybersecurity and homeland security, Nielsen worked as Kelly’s chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security before following him to work for Trump as principal deputy White House chief of staff.