The article assesses whether Sen. Markwayne Mullin can meaningfully improve the Department of Homeland Security after President Trump removed Kristi Noem. Mullin will become acting DHS secretary on March 31, but his authority may be limited by influential White House advisers such as Stephen Miller. The piece highlights Noem’s controversial $220 million ad campaign, reported FEMA cuts of nearly 10% (more than 2,400 employees), and concerns that Mullin’s business and MMA background may not translate into federal executive experience. A looming funding fight in Congress over ICE reforms is one of Mullin’s first major challenges.
Can Markwayne Mullin Turn Around DHS? What His Nomination Means For Immigration Policy
President Trump’s removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem may satisfy critics, but changing personnel alone will not fix the Department of Homeland Security’s deep operational and policy challenges. Unless the administration rethinks its punitive immigration approach and other DHS-led strategies, the agency is likely to continue facing management problems and public backlash.
A Change Of Face, Not Necessarily Of Policy
Don’t expect a wholesale reversal. For years, Trump has framed unauthorized immigration as an urgent national crisis and repeatedly described migration flows in stark terms. That hardline stance helped him politically in 2024, but it has also produced opposition: a February Reuters/Ipsos poll put his approval on immigration at just 38 percent after highly publicized enforcement incidents, including the deadly shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during protests of immigration enforcement actions.
Rather than moderating policy, the White House appears to believe unpopularity stems from messaging or execution. In that view, replacing Noem with a different public face could restore support without altering the substance of enforcement.
Who Is Markwayne Mullin?
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — a decade-long House veteran who became a senator in 2023 — will begin serving as acting DHS secretary on March 31. He may remain in that acting capacity while his nomination moves through the Republican-led Senate, which is likely to confirm him.
Mullin’s résumé centers on managing family businesses — a ranch, a plumbing company and a restaurant — rather than overseeing a large federal agency. He also has a 5-0 record as a professional mixed-martial-arts fighter and is a member of the Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame. Those credentials raise legitimate questions about whether he has the managerial depth to run an agency as large and complex as DHS.
Immediate Challenges
One of Mullin’s first tests will be resolving a partial operational shutdown at DHS by securing funding for the year. Democrats in Congress have withheld approval as leverage to press for reforms at ICE and other immigration practices — a fight that will test Mullin’s negotiating ability and political standing.
Longer-Term Constraints
Even if confirmed, Mullin’s room to maneuver may be limited. Senior White House advisers, notably Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, remain influential in shaping hardline immigration policy. Miller’s continued sway could constrain any effort by Mullin to shift tactics.
Noem’s Record And The Administrative Context
Noem’s tenure drew criticism on multiple fronts beyond questions of competence. She reportedly directed roughly $220 million toward video advertisements that prominently featured herself and warned foreigners not to enter the U.S. illegally — a campaign she told a Senate committee had White House approval, a claim the president later denied. Noem also moved to cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency workforce by nearly 10 percent (more than 2,400 employees) and advocated shifting more disaster-response responsibility to state authorities, moves that alarmed some federal and state lawmakers.
Observers say the administration’s preference for loyal, combative media surrogates over experienced career managers helps explain inconsistent performance across agencies. If the goal is effective governance, expertise and institutional know-how matter as much as, if not more than, public theater.
Political Fallout And Succession
If Mullin resigns his Senate seat to head DHS, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt will have up to 30 days to appoint a successor who must agree in writing not to run in the next election for that seat. Historically, Democrats have struggled to win statewide federal offices in Oklahoma, but shifting political dynamics and national attitudes could influence outcomes in November.
I hope Mullin proves skeptics wrong and improves DHS operations while moderating the most damaging policies. That outcome would be welcome — though, for now, it remains uncertain.
A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, a NewsNation contributor, former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party and a former New York state prosecutor.
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