Her department did not immediately respond to an emailed request for relevant statistics. "We are not letting our guard down at the northern border," because the country is only as secure as its weakest border link,

"She was transported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. She is alert and recovering," a DHS spokesperson said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was taken by ambulance to a hospital in the Washington, D.C., area on Tuesday.