Senate Holds Mullin DHS Confirmation Hearing Today as Shutdown Cripples TSA and Immigration Enforcement
The Senate Homeland Security Committee holds Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing at 9:30 a.m. ET today as he seeks to replace Kristi Noem while a partial DHS shutdown—driven by a funding impasse—has left more than 100,000 employees furloughed or working without pay, pushed hundreds of TSA officers to quit or call out sick, snarled airport security and delayed disaster aid, and coincided with an immigration‑enforcement surge in Minnesota that prompted protests and two fatal shootings. Mullin, a Trump‑aligned nominee without traditional law‑enforcement credentials who has faced scrutiny over past statements and unverified claims of private security work, is broadly expected to win Republican support and some Democratic backing, even as lawmakers press him to commit to reforms and clarify whether DHS will prioritize mass deportation numbers or more targeted enforcement.
📌 Key Facts
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Trump’s nominee to replace fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, faces a Senate Homeland Security Committee confirmation hearing scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 (hearing to be live‑streamed); Republicans expect a committee vote as soon as Thursday and view his confirmation as on a 'glidepath.'
- DHS has been in a partial shutdown for about five weeks (more than a month in some reports) because of a funding impasse over immigration enforcement; the shutdown has left roughly 100,000+ DHS employees furloughed or working without pay, contributed to hundreds of TSA officers quitting or calling out sick and long airport lines, and delayed disaster aid and FEMA operations.
- Mullin’s background: he is a former mixed‑martial‑arts fighter, collegiate wrestler, rancher and plumbing‑company owner with no formal law‑enforcement pedigree typical of past DHS secretaries; Axios reports he privately claimed dangerous private security work in war zones (including Afghanistan) before Congress, but there is no public record and Mullin declined to confirm details.
- The nomination has drawn a mix of support and opposition: GOP senators and some Republicans (including John Boozman, James Lankford, Lisa Murkowski) and at least one Democrat on the committee (John Fetterman) have expressed support or willingness to work with Mullin, while Democrats including Andy Kim and Richard Blumenthal have publicly opposed or warned they could block confirmation without major concessions.
- Mullin is expected to advance Trump’s hardline immigration‑enforcement priorities; the White House has urged emphasis on removing people with criminal records while insisting the broader mass‑deportation agenda remains intact, placing Mullin at the center of a debate over whether DHS enforcement will pursue mass arrest sweeps (numbers) or more targeted operations (quality).
- Civil‑liberties and management concerns are prominent: ACLU and other critics warn of 'mass detention and mass deportation' and call some current DHS policies 'cruel'; senators including John Kennedy have demanded a full audit of DHS and raised
📊 Relevant Data
In the Department of Homeland Security workforce as of 2023, White (Non-Hispanic or Latino) employees comprise 51.7% compared to approximately 58% of the U.S. population, while Black or African American employees comprise 16.7% compared to 13.4% of the population, and Hispanic or Latino employees comprise 22.8% compared to 19.1% of the population, indicating overrepresentation of Black and Hispanic groups relative to their population shares.
EEO Management Section | Homeland Security — U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Black Americans make up approximately one-fifth (about 20%) of the federal workforce despite representing just 13% of the U.S. population, leading to disproportionate impacts from government shutdowns on this group, as seen in previous shutdowns where federal workers faced financial hardships.
Partial Government Shutdown Looms as Battle Over DHS Funding Intensifies — Capital B News
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 shifted U.S. immigration policy by abolishing national-origin quotas, leading to significant demographic changes where the share of White Americans of European descent decreased from 84% in 1965 to about 58% non-Hispanic White by 2020, with increases in Hispanic and Asian populations; this act has been linked to expanded labor force growth but also to pressures on wages in certain sectors and housing availability in high-immigration areas.
How the Immigration Act of 1965 Changed the Face of America — History.com
In Afghanistan, the number of Department of Defense private security contractors peaked at 18,971 in March 2011, with a total of 43,809 DOD contractors reported in the fourth quarter of FY 2020, often working alongside military personnel in ratios that increased from 1:1 in 2010-2011 to 3:1 by the end of U.S. involvement.
Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Afghanistan and US Central Command — Congressional Research Service
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
Quinceañeras and Republican tumult
"A critical commentary arguing that Republican attempts at cultural outreach (evoked by 'quinceañeras') ring hollow amid DHS turmoil and a hard‑line deportation agenda that undermines trust with Latino communities and exposes the party’s internal dysfunction."
📰 Source Timeline (10)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 18, 2026
10:00 AM
Markwayne Mullin confirmation hearing set for today
New information:
- CBS specifies that Mullin’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee is set for 9:30 a.m. today and will be live‑streamed.
- The article reports DHS has been shut down for more than a month due to a funding impasse over immigration enforcement operations.
- It adds that hundreds of TSA officers have quit and many are calling out sick as they work without pay, creating significant staffing headaches at U.S. airports.
- CBS notes Democrats attempted unanimous‑consent funding for most DHS agencies (blocked by Republicans), while Republicans pushed a temporary full‑DHS funding bill (blocked by Democrats), detailing the latest failed maneuvers on the Hill.
- The piece emphasizes Mullin is considered on a 'glidepath' to confirmation, with the committee potentially voting as soon as Thursday and Republican leaders expecting some Democratic support.
9:00 AM
Mullin faces Democrat grilling in first hurdle to lead DHS amid shutdown fight
New information:
- Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee explicitly plan to use the hearing to extract Mullin’s commitments to 'far‑reaching and fundamental' reforms to DHS immigration enforcement.
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal is quoted calling Mullin’s past 'incendiary statements' disqualifying unless he retracts them and warning Mullin should be 'defeated and rejected' if he refuses deep reforms.
- The article underscores Mullin’s 'icy' personal relationship with Committee Chair Sen. Rand Paul, who declined to preview how the hearing will go, saying only, 'Come tomorrow, and you’ll find out more.'
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune says GOP leaders have not formally whipped votes but notes Mullin has 'good, strong relationships' with Democrats and frames the nomination as giving Democrats the leadership change they demanded when Kristi Noem was removed.
- Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat on the committee, is identified as an early public supporter of Mullin’s nomination and says he is in ongoing talks with Mullin about DHS reforms and has a planned pre‑hearing meeting.
- The piece reiterates Trump’s desired timeline: he wants Mullin installed and Noem out by March 31, adding urgency to the confirmation push despite Democratic resistance.
9:00 AM
Markwayne Mullin’s offer on DHS: The same Trump agenda, a new hardline leader
New information:
- Confirms Mullin will face his Senate colleagues in a confirmation hearing on Wednesday in the same type of committee room where former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure began to unravel.
- Details that DHS remains shut down and under scrutiny for two fatal ICE shootings in Minneapolis, which have sparked protests and questions about agency tactics.
- Reports that Mullin publicly defended the January shooting of Renee Good as “justified,” saying, “If you don’t want to be in harm’s way, don’t get in the way of police officers from doing their job.”
- Includes Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s on‑record support for Mullin, with her critique of Noem’s management and her call for “more engagement with the Congress” from DHS leadership.
- Quotes Sens. John Kennedy and Thom Tillis outlining what they want from Mullin on FEMA disaster relief and on Operation Charlotte’s Web, with Tillis saying Mullin should “come clean” about the ICE surge in North Carolina that led to detention of U.S. citizens.
9:00 AM
Sen. Mullin faces confirmation hearing to lead Homeland Security Department
New information:
- NPR confirms the hearing is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, and will be before the Senate Homeland Security Committee (with live stream).
- Reports that Kristi Noem becomes the first Cabinet secretary to leave Trump’s second-term administration and has been reassigned as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a regional coalition of Latin American countries.
- Details that an immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota led to protests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens, a key factor in Noem’s bipartisan criticism and removal.
- States that over 100,000 DHS employees are currently furloughed or working without pay due to the partial DHS shutdown, including TSA and FEMA workers who are unrelated to immigration enforcement.
- Provides excerpts of prepared opening remarks from Senate Homeland Security Committee ranking Democrat Gary Peters, including his concerns about Mullin’s 'readiness' and his warning that the DHS secretary should not be a 'cable news commentator' in crises.
- Notes that Mullin’s nomination has drawn support from Teamsters president Sean O’Brien, despite Mullin having previously threatened to fight him in a Senate hearing, with O’Brien now calling Mullin willing to 'stand their butt up to protect America.'
- Reiterates Trump’s posted rationale for choosing Mullin, including his pledge that Mullin will 'Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country' and 'MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.'
8:50 AM
Sen. Markwayne Mullin's secret war zone past
New information:
- Axios reports that Markwayne Mullin has privately told colleagues he did dangerous private security work in Middle East war zones, including Afghanistan, before running for Congress, though there is no public record of such work.
- Multiple former House colleagues say Mullin has described spending extended periods overseas 'protecting our country' in a non-military role, and Mullin himself told a radio show he did 'special assignments outside of DoD' working 'alongside' those under military contract.
- Mullin refused to answer Axios’ questions directly, saying, 'Brother, you know that I can't talk about any questions like this,' while his spokesperson framed his pre‑Congress work as Christian 'mission work' and mentorship for U.S. troops, not confirming the war‑zone security claims.
March 17, 2026
6:02 PM
Trump's security pick Mullin poised to inherit a DHS beset by challenges
New information:
- AP details that Mullin would "walk into" DHS with immigration enforcement at a crossroads, delayed disaster aid angering states, and frustrated travelers facing long TSA lines due to a monthlong funding battle in Congress.
- The article specifies that outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s social‑media‑driven management style contributed to her downfall and that Mullin is expected to follow White House policy priorities while being seen in the Senate more as a de facto spokesman for Trump than a legislator.
- It reports that approval of Trump’s immigration approach has fallen since the start of his second term, with most Americans now saying he has "gone too far," raising pressure on Mullin to recalibrate how mass deportations are carried out.
- Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg is quoted warning Mullin will need to decide whether enforcement focuses on "numbers or quality"—mass arrest sweeps versus more targeted operations—and that he will face internal pressure to keep deportation numbers high.
- Sen. John Kennedy, R‑La., is quoted saying DHS has "serious management problems" and that he told Mullin a full audit of the department is needed.
10:00 AM
Mullin wins backing from China, Cuba hawks — and some Democrats — as critics question fitness to lead DHS
New information:
- Sen. James Lankford, a Homeland Security Committee member from Oklahoma, publicly calls Mullin 'the right man at the right time' and says he expects Mullin to 'turn FEMA around.'
- Rep. Carlos Gimenez, the only Cuban‑born member of Congress and a leading Cuba hawk, strongly endorses Mullin, tying his support to expectations of a 'dramatic transition in Cuba' and saying he trusts Mullin to implement a 'course‑correction' at DHS.
- Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, says he will vote to confirm Mullin, citing agreement on border security and 'rounding up and deporting criminals' while criticizing Kristi Noem’s Minneapolis operation.
- Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, also on the Homeland Security Committee, goes on record as a hard 'no,' framing Mullin’s confirmation as a referendum on Trump’s immigration enforcement and FEMA performance and saying the administration resists needed reforms.
- Trump has publicly floated the idea that Cuba’s regime could collapse 'pretty soon,' with backers suggesting Mullin is suited to manage DHS during potential upheaval there.
9:00 AM
Wrestler, senator, tribal citizen: Who is Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s pick to lead DHS?
New information:
- Confirms that Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin is President Trump’s nominee to replace fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and that his Senate confirmation hearing is set for Wednesday.
- States that DHS has been in a partial shutdown for about five weeks, leaving thousands of employees unpaid while the department faces heightened risks from the Iran war and pressure to execute mass deportations.
- Details Mullin’s background as a former mixed martial arts fighter, collegiate wrestler, rancher, and plumbing company owner, and notes he lacks a formal law-enforcement background, which is typical for DHS secretaries.
- Reports that Trump publicly labeled Mullin a 'MAGA Warrior' and that Mullin responded by praising Trump for having 'the most secure U.S. border in American history' and pledging to 'defend the homeland.'
- Includes on‑the‑record support from GOP Sen. John Boozman, who calls Mullin well liked on both sides of the aisle and predicts he will have little trouble being confirmed.
March 16, 2026
3:00 PM
Trump's mass deportation agenda is at a crossroads as DHS changes leadership
New information:
- Confirms timing and framing of Kristi Noem’s departure and Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s upcoming DHS confirmation hearings as the immediate ‘crossroads’ for Trump’s immigration agenda.
- Reports that the White House political director, at a retreat at Trump’s Florida golf club, urged Republicans to emphasize enforcement against people with criminal records, while the White House press office insists the overall mass‑deportation agenda is unchanged.
- Quotes House Speaker Mike Johnson calling the aggressive deportation sweeps a political “hiccup” and promising a “course correction,” even as operations continue and ramp up.
- Highlights civil‑liberties concerns from the ACLU’s Sarah Mehta, who says the public is now seeing what “mass detention and mass deportation” look like and describes DHS as “really going forward with some of the cruelest policies.”
- Includes pro‑deportation advocate Rosemary Jenks arguing that now is an “opportunity” to increase deportation numbers amid internal GOP talk of backing away from Trump’s campaign‑trail mass deportation promise.