Former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin was sworn in at the White House on March 24 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 Mullin, 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.
Noem released a statement on X thanking Trump for the opportunity to lead DHS, which she said has made the southern border the “most secure border in American history” under her leadership.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the 8th Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,” Noem said, noting that she hopes to use her national security experience in the new envoy role.
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.”
Still, DHS’s new leader faces headwinds from Senate Democrats, who have blocked full funding of the agency unless their demands for ICE reforms are met.
However, the partial shutdown doesn’t affect ICE, nor Customs and Border Protection, which are funded through 2029 under a reconciliation package passed in 2025.
The three impacted agencies are the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration. The funding impasse for the Transportation Security Administration has led to long waits in line for airline travelers.
Mullin warned during his confirmation hearing that Congress was “playing with fire” by denying funding during a conflict with Iran and apparent lone-wolf terrorist attacks that have occurred across the country in recent weeks.
“We have to get DHS funded,” he said. “We have to set the partisan side down, and we have to realize that we’re putting our homeland and the peace of mind at risk for the American people.”
Mullin suggested that he would take a fresh approach to immigration enforcement by working with local governments and law enforcement.
He appeared willing to compromise with a key Democratic demand surrounding the use of judicial warrants for ICE to enter homes or businesses as a condition of funding DHS.
“We will not enter a home or a place of business without a judicial warrant unless we’re pursuing an individual that runs into a place of business or a house,” Mullin said.
Mullin also said he would restructure FEMA, not eliminate it.
Trump proposed eliminating or significantly overhauling FEMA last year, suggesting that disaster response could be better served at the state level.
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