The U.S. Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday, marking him the second secretary to lead the department during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Sen.Mullin's confirmation follows DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s firing amid increased public backlash over the Trump administration’s efforts at immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations.
Sen. Mullin was confirmed by a 54-45 vote count.
The Oklahoma senator will take over DHS during a difficult time, as the agency continues to operate without funds amid a partial government shutdown that began on Feb. 13, 2026.
Since Feb. 3, 2026, the Trump administration and Congressional Democrats have attempted to negotiate reforms for DHS’s extensive immigration enforcement campaign.
Democrats have urged better identification of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement agents, updated conduct guidelines for agencies, and a greater dependence on judicial warrants.
The current DHS shutdown affects Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency.
As of Mar. 24, 2026, DHS reported the highest TSA staff absences since the shutdown began nearly six weeks prior. Over a third of employees have called in sick or quit as officers face work without pay.
Over the weekend, President Trump announced that he would order immigration enforcement officers to assist the TSA by guarding exit lanes and checking passenger identification in efforts to reduce security checkpoint lines that have reached over four-hour wait times at some airports.
"I'm not scared of a challenge. I am scared of failure, and so I will work hard each day," Mullin said during his confirmation hearing. "My goal in six months is that we're not in the lead story every single day. My goal is for people to understand we're out there. We're protecting them, and we're working with them. My goal is to make every one of you guys proud."
