Senate Weighs Mullin DHS Nomination as China and Cuba Hawks, Some Democrats Signal Support
The Senate Homeland Security Committee is set to hold Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing as Trump’s nominee to lead DHS amid a roughly five‑week partial department shutdown, controversy over aggressive deportation operations and broader homeland risks tied to the Iran war and potential upheaval in Cuba. Mullin — a GOP senator and former wrestler with no formal law‑enforcement background — has drawn backing from Republican and hawkish figures on Cuba (and reportedly China hawks) and some Democrats such as Sen. John Fetterman, while others including Sen. Andy Kim and civil‑liberties groups oppose his nomination, questioning his fitness to lead DHS.
📌 Key Facts
- Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R‑Okla.) is President Trump’s nominee to replace fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; his Senate confirmation hearing is set for Wednesday and is framed as an immediate crossroads for the administration’s immigration agenda.
- DHS has been operating in a partial shutdown for about five weeks, leaving thousands of employees unpaid while the department faces heightened risks from the Iran war and political pressure to carry out mass deportations.
- Mullin’s background includes work as a mixed‑martial‑arts fighter, collegiate wrestler, rancher and plumbing‑company owner; he lacks a formal law‑enforcement background typical of many past DHS secretaries.
- Mullin has drawn notable GOP backing — including Sen. John Boozman and Homeland Security Committee member Sen. James Lankford, who praised his prospects and ability to ‘turn FEMA around’ — and some bipartisan support, with Sen. John Fetterman saying he will vote to confirm based on shared views on border security and deporting criminals.
- Other Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee oppose Mullin: Sen. Andy Kim has publicly declared a hard 'no,' framing the nomination as a referendum on the administration’s immigration enforcement and FEMA performance.
- The White House has pushed a tougher enforcement message — its political director urged emphasis on targeting people with criminal records — while the press office says the overall mass‑deportation agenda remains unchanged; Trump has promoted Mullin as a 'MAGA Warrior,' and Mullin has publicly praised Trump and pledged to 'defend the homeland.'
- Civil‑liberties groups warn of harms from aggressive enforcement: the ACLU’s Sarah Mehta says the public is seeing what 'mass detention and mass deportation' look like and calls DHS policies 'some of the cruelest,' while pro‑deportation advocates like Rosemary Jenks view the moment as an opportunity to increase removals.
- Supporters also cite foreign policy contingencies in endorsing Mullin: Trump has suggested Cuba’s regime could collapse soon, and backers — including Cuba hawk Rep. Carlos Gimenez — say Mullin is suited to manage DHS during potential upheaval.
📊 Relevant Data
Senator Markwayne Mullin is a member of the Cherokee Nation, and if confirmed as DHS Secretary, he would be the first Native American to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
A Cherokee Nation Citizen Will Lead Homeland Security for the First Time in American History — Native Sovereignty
Only 27 people who self-identify as Native American have ever served in the U.S. Congress, despite Native Americans comprising about 2.9% of the U.S. population (alone or in combination with other races) as of the 2020 Census.
Record number of Indigenous candidates in U.S. elections, but representation still low — CBC.ca
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was sponsored by Senator Philip Hart and Representative Emanuel Celler, with support from northern Democrats and Republicans, as well as civil rights advocates seeking to eliminate discriminatory national origin quotas.
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 — Wikipedia
U.S. citizens and legal residents, particularly those perceived as immigrants, have reported increased racial profiling and detentions by ICE, with the agency holding 68,990 people in detention as of January 8, 2026.
'It's like they're hunting': US citizens and legal residents report racial profiling by Ice — The Guardian
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"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 (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.