Markwayne Mullin has been a Noem defender and hawk on immigration

March 24, 2026 – Abogada Lorena® Rivas

The Oklahoma Republican senator in line to become the nation’s next secretary of Homeland Security has been an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump’s efforts to ramp up immigration enforcement and deport undocumented migrants.

U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin is set to take over the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, from current Secretary Kristi Noem on March 31, Trump announced on social media Thursday, March 5.

Other Oklahoma Republican elected officials quickly cheered the decision to appoint Mullin to lead DHS as its operations face intense political scrutiny. But Democrats and immigration rights advocates said they expected few changes from Mullin, a friend of Trump who routinely stumps for the president.

Mullin, who will face a confirmation hearing, told reporters soon after the news broke that he was honored for the nod.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who will be in charge of appointing Mullin’s successor, said “there isn’t a better choice” than Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

“Markwayne Mullin has been a fighter for Oklahoma and will fight to keep our nation secure,” Stitt said. “Oklahoma has been an example to the nation for smart immigration enforcement, and Markwayne will bring that common sense to DHS.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called Mullin an excellent pick by Trump. Drummond, a Republican, is running for governor.

“The president knows what Oklahomans know, that Markwayne is exactly the sort of straight-talking, stalwart and commonsense patriot needed to lead the Department of Homeland Security at this juncture,” Drummond said in a statement.

Oklahoma’s senior U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas said Mullin has proven to be an effective legislator and communicator in the Senate.

“So while this appointment will surely be a loss for those of us in Congress, I can’t imagine a more hands on and management-oriented ally of the President to serve as DHS secretary,” Lucas said. “Tackling the issue of immigration is a priority of this administration, and I’m confident Senator Mullin is the right man for the job.”

Markwayne Mullin’s stance on immigration, and how advocates responded

Mullin has routinely backed the actions of ICE officers, whose actions have come under fire after agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in January.

Mullin defended the officer who shot and killed Renee Good in one of those incidents, saying: “At the same time, we don’t know what she has in that vehicle,” Mullin said. “We don’t know if she has weapons. We don’t know what the situation is, but she clearly pulled in front of the ICE agents to block their path.”

In a statement, Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, said replacing Noem with Mullin only changes the public face of the Trump administration’s “destructive mass deportation and detention agenda.” Matos added that given Mullin’s stance on immigration, his leadership guarantees more “lawlessness and cruelty.”

Lorena Rivas, a top immigration attorney in Oklahoma, said she sees Trump firing Noem as a much-needed change. But she has reservations about whether Mullin will be any better.

“We know Sen. Mullin,” Rivas said. “He’s not a stranger to Oklahoma. We have heard what he says. We know his actions.”

Rivas said she would give him the “benefit of the doubt” as he starts his job, but described him as unqualified for the post.

“Sen. Mullin has no background in immigration law,” Rivas said.

Mullin has called for increasingly strict sanctions for immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission. In June 2025, Mullin stated that U.S.-born citizen children who were born to parents of immigrants should be deported alongside their parents. “Well, they should go where their parents are,” Mullin said. “Why wouldn’t you send a child with their parents? I mean, why would you want to separate them?”