WATCH: Blumenthal and Noem spar over family separation at the border

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Homeland Security Secretary nominee Kristi Noem argued in a confirmation hearing Friday held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about President-elect Donald Trump’s policy of separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border. during his first administration.

Watch the video in the player above.

Blumenthal said he wanted to “draw attention” to legislation he has sponsored called the Keep Families Together Act and the Families Belong Together Act, which he says would prevent children from being separated from their parents at ports of entry and reunite children who were separated from their parents in 2017 and 2018.

CLOCK: Late. Blumenthal questions Noem about child separation protecting all Americans

In response, Noem said, “The Trump administration never had a policy on family separation. They had a ‘zero tolerance’ policy that said our laws would be followed.”

Under the Trump administration, more than 2,600 children were separated from their parents, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota, is a rancher and former member of Congress. A close ally of Trump, Noem has called migration across the US southern border “an invasion.”

If confirmed, Noem will play a key role in carrying out his promised immigration crackdown by leading the Department of Homeland Security, one of the largest federal agencies.

Find more of our confirmation hearing coverage