The US Senate has confirmed Markwayne Mullin as the next head of Homeland Security
Listen to this article
Average 5 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
The US Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary late Monday, allowing President Donald Trump’s nominee to take over the department after Kristi Noem was fired amid public uproar over the administration’s forced immigration and mass deportations.
Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma known for his close friendship with Trump, has tried to portray himself as tough, saying his goal as secretary will be to keep the department off the front page.
He takes office at a difficult time as Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to tighten airport security during the budget shutdown in Congress. He also clashed with the Republican chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, who questioned Mullin’s character and attitude during confirmation hearings.
In the end, senators overwhelmingly confirmed him in line with the party by a 54-45 vote.
Andrew Chang explains what led to US President Donald Trump’s firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Photos provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
Former MMA fighter
While the senator came to this position after more than a decade in Congress – and with the executive experience of managing a growing family plumbing business in Oklahoma – he has never been seen as a significant force on immigration issues.
A former mixed martial artist and collegiate wrestler who once led morning workouts at the House members-only gym, he is close to members of both parties and is often seen as a spokesman in Washington as part of the caucus.
It is his loyalty to Trump that got him the job, and he is not expected to deviate from the presidential path. Mullin was a staunch supporter of Trump’s immigration agenda and ICE officials before he was hired at DHS.
“I may have different opinions with everyone in this room, but as secretary of state I will be protecting everyone,” Mullin said during his confirmation hearing.
Funding has stopped
Mullin’s first challenge will be to restore regular funding to the department, which has been blocked since mid-February, as Democrats seek tougher restrictions following the deaths of two US citizens during protests this year in Minneapolis. They want immigration officials to reveal themselves without wearing masks; refrain from enforcing the law in schools, churches, hospitals and other sensitive areas; wear body cameras; and get a judge’s approval for warrants before entering people’s homes or private areas.
The funding lapse has led to long waits at US airports as Defense Transportation agents have called instead to work without pay. Trump has rejected the latest proposal, and negotiations have stalled.
At his confirmation hearing last week, Mullin sought to portray himself as a strong hand at the agency’s critical moment — an image that was challenged by the committee’s chairman, Republican Sen. Rand Paul, in a heated exchange. Democrats are also skeptical, seeing him as an honest judge of Trump’s agenda.
At a meeting of the US Senate committee, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) challenged Teamsters president Sean O’Brien to a fight over a series of inflammatory posts O’Brien made about him on X, formerly known as Twitter. The heated argument lasted about six minutes as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate panel holding the hearing, tried to interrupt them and urged them to calm down.
Mullin goes back on earlier comments
Paul voted for Mullin during the committee vote. Democratic senators John Fetterman and Martin Heinrich joined most other Republicans in promoting a nominee on Sunday’s ballot.
“Markwayne Mullin is ready to lead,” said Sen. John Barrasso, the number 2 ranked Republican. He said Mullin “will work diligently and ethically. He will be a leader who makes our country safe.”
Mullin takes office at a time when public support for the president’s immigration plan has declined after a year of high-profile jobs in many American cities. Under Noem’s leadership, the police have been accused of using force to arrest immigrants, detaining them in poor conditions and violating due process to quickly deport immigrants.
Mullin omitted other comments he made during his confirmation hearing, saying he was wrong to insult protester Alex Pretti after he was shot and killed by an ICE officer. He said that as the secretary he will not issue decisions before the investigation is done.
Andrew Chang explains how US President Donald Trump is backing away from an immigration ban in Minnesota amid criticism for pushing a hot story about the shooting of Alex Pretti. Photos provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
He shed some light on other ways in which he might influence policy when it comes to immigration. For example, he said officers would be required to use a warrant signed by a judge — not the administrative warrants currently used by ICE officers — to enter homes except in exceptional circumstances.
He acknowledged the concerns some communities have about building large ICE detention centers in their neighborhoods and said that cutting federal funding to so-called sanctuaries that do not work with ICE would be a last resort.
But ultimately, it’s the White House that sets the agenda when it comes to how Trump’s immigration enforcement vision is carried out, and Mullin is expected to follow its lead. Trump is facing a powerful caucus in the Republican Party that is pressing him to follow through on his promise to deport a million people a year.
FEMA and federal disaster assistance are flexible
Mullin will also have his hands full charting a new study at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is being watched as it brings disaster relief to parts of the country hit hard by hurricanes and other natural disasters.
A growing number of critics, even fellow Republicans, said Noem’s policy of approving contracts above $100,000 US limited the crisis response, and the department still lacks a full-time director.
Mullin introduced a new approach to state emergency management during his Senate confirmation hearing, rejected the idea of eliminating FEMA and said he would repeal Noem’s contract authorization rule.
