The future of the immigration issue could now rest on one man’s shoulders—Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
After President Donald Trump picked the Oklahoma Republican to replace Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, senators are speculating on whether the move will create momentum for reopening the department.
For over 24 days, Senate Democrats have almost unanimously refused to advance Republican-backed measures to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
They have demanded restraints on immigration law enforcement, such as restrictions on the use of face masks and administrative warrants, as well as requirements for body cameras.
This holdout has resulted in a complete lapse in appropriations for an agency that deals with the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, cybersecurity, and several other responsibilities beyond immigration.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has argued Democrats ought to reconsider their refusal to fund the agency now that Trump has selected new leadership.
“This, to me, is a huge development, I would think, in the funding conversation, and hopefully they’ll get more earnest about coming to the table and trying to get a deal,” said Thune after news broke.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters Monday that Mullin’s “strong guarantee of Republican backing” will likely make the confirmation process easy, but added that Mullin will “be grilled very thoroughly” by Democrats “about what reforms he will support” for the agency.
Asked by The Daily Signal if conversations with Mullin amid the confirmation process could create progress in reopening the department, Blumenthal replied, “Anything’s possible. Sen. Mullin knows how this place works and how the give-and-take is essential to getting things done. Nobody gets everything they want, and some compromise is necessary.”
He continued, “Those kinds of reforms that are standard operating procedure for your police force in your town, I think Secretary Mullin would be open to them.”
The process will place Mullin in an unusual position, as he navigates the dynamics of bipartisan negotiations in the Senate, as well as negotiations between the executive branch and Congress.
Mullin served in the House for a decade and has been a senator since 2023.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, will consider his confirmation.
Mullin, who tends to align himself closely with party leadership’s positions, has spoken harshly of Paul in the past.
“We’re shooting for a week from Wednesday,” Paul told reporters on Monday when asked when the confirmation hearing would be.
“I’m going to reserve judgment now and we’ll probably find out a lot more,” Paul told a reporter who asked for his thoughts on Mullin’s nomination.
Paul might be tough on Mullin during the confirmation process.
After the death of Alex Pretti in a shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Paul called on DHS to “pledge to reform,” subjecting top immigration officials to tough questioning by his committee.
Paul, a fiscal hawk, has also been critical of the Trump administration’s budget requests for border wall construction and law enforcement.
Mullin’s chances of confirmation look promising, especially since Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., perhaps the harshest Republican critic of Noem, has called Mullin “a great guy and a great choice to lead DHS.”
Noem will leave her position on March 31.
A spokesperson for Mullin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.