Senator Markwayne Mullin has been chosen to take over from Kristi Noem as the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during an ongoing impasse with Democrats regarding immigration issues
U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Senator Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma as his candidate for Secretary of Homeland Security.
Mullin is stepping in for Kristi Noem, who was removed from her position after facing bipartisan criticism over her management of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—both individuals killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis.
On Truth Social, Trump referred to the Republican senator as a “warrior” with the required “wisdom and courage” to push forward his America First agenda. In an interview with NBC, he stated he was a “big fan” of Mullin, noting that “it wasn’t a difficult decision” to nominate him.
Wrestler-turned-senator
Mullin had a short career in mixed martial arts and college wrestling, amassing an undefeated 5-0 record, before stepping away from sports to run his family’s plumbing company. He was first elected to Congress in 2012, serving three terms in the House of Representatives before becoming a senator in 2023.
Mullin supported Trump’s initiatives to restrict birthright citizenship, asserting that infants born in the U.S. to undocumented parents should be deported along with their parents. He alleged there exists “a whole industry” that brings pregnant women “in their final month” to the U.S. on tourist visas to obtain American citizenship for their children.
In February, Mullin told CNBC that all individuals should carry proof of citizenship and present it to law enforcement officials when requested.
“Yes, I’m a Republican, yes I’m conservative,” Mullin stated after his nomination. “Whether you support me or not, I’m going to be laser-focused on getting that task accomplished.”
He also criticized Congressional Democrats for a partial government shutdown that caused a funding gap at the Department of Homeland Security in February, commenting, “They’re not preventing [immigration agents] from carrying out their duties.”
Standoff with Democrats
If confirmed by the Senate, Mullin will assume the role of the new DHS chief on March 31. His predecessor, Noem, faced widespread criticism for her handling of the deaths of Good and Pretti and was accused of using departmental resources for self-promotion and attention-grabbing publicity stunts.
Mullin will need to oversee the implementation of Trump’s strict crackdown on illegal immigration in Democrat-led cities, where political leaders refuse to cooperate with federal agents and activists frequently try to hinder their work.