Ahead of U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) confirmation hearing this Wednesday, the White House is attempting to position him as a more measured alternative to Kristi Noem’s chaotic tenure on immigration enforcement under the direction of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
But Mullin’s record and the Trump administration’s recent actions paint a different picture. Mullin isn’t a course correction – he’s the latest attempt to rebrand what the administration – specifically Miller – really intends: mass deportation and aggressive anti-immigrant operations that a majority of Americans oppose. By installing a new face at DHS, the White House hopes to quiet growing public opposition to its deportation agenda. Yet the facts reveal who Mullin is and what he plans to do with the nation’s most powerful domestic law enforcement agency.
Here’s what the record shows:
Mullin Isn’t a Correction – He’s a Continuation
Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), has promoted Mullin’s nomination as a departure from DHS under Noem’s leadership. Yet his actual record demonstrates the opposite – rather than charting a new course, Mullin would champion the department’s most controversial policies. He has consistently defended ICE violence, pushed for expanded mass deportation authority, resisted judicial checks on executive power, and targeted constitutional protections.
He Has Defended ICE Violence And Will Block Accountability
- After ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Mullin rallied behind Ross, repeatedly insisting the officer was “justified” in his actions.
- Video evidence shows “no indication that the agent who fired the shots, Jonathan Ross, had been run over.”
- After the killing of VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti, Mullin disparaged him as a “deranged individual,” falsely claiming Pretti arrived to “cause massive damage, with a loaded pistol, with an extra mag that was completely loaded.”
- Pretti was “not seen wielding a weapon” at any point during the encounter, CNN reported after reviewing multiple videos.
- Mullin attacked Americans exercising their constitutional right to observe ICE operations, referring to community observers as “paid protesters” breaking federal law.
He Has Championed Legislation To Expand Mass Deportation
- Mullin co-sponsored bills mandating detention for immigrants accused of theft-related crimes and granting DHS unlimited power to detain noncitizens indefinitely without bond hearings.
- He co-sponsored bills to strip citizenship from U.S.-born individuals and block asylum access.
He Has Attacked Judicial Oversight Of The Executive Branch
- Mullin attacked federal judges for issuing rulings that forced ICE to slow, stop, or reverse some of its most aggressive tactics.
- In a 2025 podcast appearance, Mullin argued that national injunctions blocking Trump’s immigration enforcement are illegitimate, stating: “To put a national injunction on the President of the United States…is absolutely absurd.”
- When Fox News host Will Cain asked Mullin about the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador – which proceeded despite a court order prohibiting it – Mullin attacked the judge for allegedly “overstepping” his authority.
He Flip-Flopped on Immigration for Political Gain
- In 2019, Mullin supported a DACA compromise and championed the economic benefits of immigration.
- In August 2019, Mullin stated: “I talk about immigration reform in my upcoming podcast and how it relates to the economy. We have a great economy right now, but we also have a shortage of workers that are needed to fill available openings.”
- After winning his U.S. Senate seat, Mullin reversed course completely, opposing relief for Dreamers and claiming in 2024 that a vote for Kamala Harris “is a vote for MASS AMNESTY.”
He Promoted False Claims About the 2020 Election
- Mullin pushed false claims that Trump won the 2020 election and joined a case before the Supreme Court demanding that votes in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin be thrown out.
- On January 6, 2021, hours after the violent insurrection, Mullin voted to exclude Arizona and Pennsylvania from the counting of presidential electors.
Mass Deportation Is Already Political Poison
The latest polling shows Trump’s mass deportation agenda is bleeding support across the electorate. Americans don’t just oppose mass deportation – they’re actively demanding Congress impose accountability measures and oversight. Mullin’s record demonstrates his commitment to the very approach Americans are rejecting: aggressive enforcement without accountability.
- Americans are rejecting Trump’s enforcement approach: 60% view ICE unfavorably, 62% say it uses excessive force, one-third of Latino voters say ICE is “out of control,” and 58% of Americans believe Congress should withhold funding from ICE until the agency changes its approach.
- Americans overwhelmingly support concrete reforms: 84% support criminal background checks for ICE agents, 86% support mandatory body cameras, and 75% demand identifiable uniforms.
The White House Is Running a Rebranding Campaign
Facing a political crisis, the White House is replacing Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin. The goal isn’t to tone down enforcement – it’s to rebrand it. By installing a new face and softening party rhetoric around ‘mass deportations,’ the administration is attempting to continue its aggressive enforcement operations while avoiding the political backlash that derailed Noem.
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair privately urged House Republicans to stop emphasizing “mass deportations” ahead of the midterms.
- Trump ousted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem after disastrous Congressional hearings exposed her chaotic and deadly immigration enforcement operations and corrupt dealings.
- Yet, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the president’s policies have sent immigrants out of the U.S., either through forced deportations or on their own, and sealed up the U.S.-Mexico border. “Nobody is changing the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda,” she said.
The facts are clear: Mullin’s record raises serious concerns about accountability, constitutional limits, and rule of law. His confirmation hearing this Wednesday gives senators a chance to examine whether his record demonstrates the commitment to constitutional principles, judicial oversight, and agency accountability that Americans – across the political spectrum – expect from DHS leadership.
