The vote comes as Trump orders ICE to assist Transportation Security Administration agents amid a standoff with Democrats over funding.
Oklahoma’s Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin is on track to become the next Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary in a Senate vote on March 23.
He will replace Kristi Noem, who faced backlash over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
The Senate voted 54 to 37, largely along party lines, to advance Mullin in a rare weekend session, setting up a final vote on his nomination on Monday night.
Mullin, who is expected to be confirmed, would replace DHS Secretary Noem on March 31.
President Donald Trump, while praising Noem, reassigned her as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, following protests in Minnesota over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations that led to two U.S. citizens’ deaths.
The anticipated confirmation of a new Homeland Security leader comes as Congress and the White House spar over agency funding amid Democratic criticism of DHS’s handling of deportations.
Mullin would take over leadership of the agency under a cloud of controversy and funding challenges.
The partial shutdown has led to long lines at U.S. airports as some Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have quit or not shown up for work due to delayed paychecks. Over the weekend, Trump ordered immigration officers to assist TSA agents.
During Mullin’s confirmation hearing on March 18, lawmakers questioned him on immigration enforcement, emergency response, and how he would lead the agency.
Mullin urged Congress to fully fund DHS, saying it’s “unconscionable” to let agency workers go unpaid.
He suggested that Congress was “playing with fire” by withholding money during a conflict with Iran and apparent lone-wolf terrorist attacks that have occurred across the country in recent weeks.
Mullin suggested that he would take a fresh approach to immigration enforcement by working with local governments and law enforcement.
“I would like to go in there and talk to the mayors,” he said. “I’d like to go in there and talk to the sheriffs, talk to the chiefs, say, ‘What are your concerns?’”
He indicated during the hearing that he would take a different approach to immigration enforcement surrounding the use of administrative warrants.
Democrats have demanded the use of judicial warrants for ICE to enter homes or businesses as a condition of funding DHS.
Pressed by Democrats, Mullin also pledged to restructure the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rather than eliminate it.
