The now-former Oklahoma Republican senator is expected to seek more cooperation with local cities for immigration enforcement.
Former Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin was sworn in at the White House on Tuesday as the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), amid a funding impasse for the agency.
The ceremony was hosted by President Donald Trump, who tapped the Oklahoma senator, a close ally, to serve after tensions mounted over the president’s immigration enforcement under his predecessor, Kristi Noem.
“It’s a great day for me, because I have a lot of confidence in this gentleman, and we’re thrilled to swear in our new Secretary of Homeland Security,” Trump said.
Trump called Mullin, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation and a former mixed martial arts fighter, “strong, professional, and fair.”
“I have no doubt that as he takes the helm of DHS, Markwayne will fight for Homeland Security, the United States, and securing the country and making it really strong the way it should be,” he said.
The president addressed the DHS funding block, saying Democrats were trying to defund the agency “because they’re trying to shield illegal alien criminals.”
Trump reassigned Noem as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a security initiative involving a coalition of Latin American countries, following protests in Minnesota over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations that led to two U.S. citizens’ deaths.
Mullin, who was sworn in by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was confirmed by the Senate on March 23 with a vote of 54–45, mainly along party lines.
“ I made this very clear—that I don’t care what color your state is. I don’t care if you’re red or you’re blue. At the end of the day, my job is to be Secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same, and we will do that,” Mullin said after being sworn in.
He will replace Noem on March 31 and is expected to adopt a more nuanced approach to immigration enforcement.
“I want to bring peace of mind,” Mullin said during his confirmation hearing. “I want to bring confidence back to the agency.”
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