Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin urged bipartisan cooperation with federal immigration authorities at the National Governors Association meeting, saying local partnerships enable safer, lower-profile arrests of noncitizens with criminal convictions. He cited successful coordination during the World Cup and noted that 76 of Oklahoma's 77 counties work with federal authorities to transfer custody before release. Mullin defended the department's enforcement record — including a spike to about 1,593 arrests per day and more than 43,000 arrests in June — while emphasizing that naturalization continues and legal pathways remain available.
Homeland Security Secretary Urges Governors to Help Target Targeted Immigration Arrests, Citing Safety and Intergovernmental Cooperation
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks with Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt Saturday at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Oklahoma City. Mullin, a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, urged states to cooperate with federal immigration arrests. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)
OKLAHOMA CITY — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin this weekend urged state and local leaders to cooperate with federal immigration officials so arrests and removals can be carried out more safely and discreetly.
Speaking to a bipartisan gathering of governors at the National Governors Association summer meeting, Mullin said local cooperation allows federal authorities to focus on removing the "worst of the worst" — noncitizens with criminal convictions — and to do so before those individuals are released from jails or prisons.
Mullin, a Republican who formerly represented Oklahoma in the U.S. House and Senate, appeared onstage with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the outgoing chair of the NGA. Mullin assumed leadership of the department after President Donald Trump dismissed former Secretary Krsti Noem, who had publicly defended high-profile lethal actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Detainers and Public Safety
The secretary urged jurisdictions to honor federal immigration detainers, which request that local authorities hold people without legal authorization after they finish serving criminal sentences so federal officials can take custody.
"That shouldn't be controversial. We're not doing job-site raids. We're not going to Home Depot and raiding the parking lot. These are individuals that have already been convicted of a crime," Mullin said.
Mullin argued that when so-called sanctuary jurisdictions decline to cooperate, ICE agents are sometimes forced to pursue arrests in public after a person is released — a scenario he said could increase risks to officers, the public and the individuals being arrested.
Examples and Cooperation
He pointed to the agency's coordination during the World Cup as an example of successful partnership with local law enforcement, crediting joint efforts for improved safety for residents and visitors, steps to prevent human trafficking and seizures of counterfeit goods.
"We can't do it without you guys," Mullin said. "I'm saying we can work together." He noted that in Oklahoma, 76 of the state's 77 counties have arrangements that allow transfers of immigration custody from local jails and prisons before detainees are released.
Grants, Criticism and Enforcement Data
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who this week succeeded Stitt as leader of the bipartisan governors' group, thanked Mullin for opening lines of communication and pressed him on the status of federal security grants used for counterterrorism, training and cybersecurity. Mullin said the agency now considers whether local governments cooperate with federal law enforcement when evaluating such grants.
Mullin's weekend remarks drew criticism from some conservatives, including prominent Trump ally Steve Bannon, after he acknowledged migrants have legal avenues to seek status in the United States. Mullin also highlighted that naturalization continues, saying nearly 900,000 people became U.S. citizens in the past year, while stressing the administration will not tolerate noncitizens with criminal convictions or those who have not pursued legal status.
Under Mullin's tenure, Immigration and Customs Enforcement recorded a significant uptick in arrests: officials reported roughly 1,593 arrests per day in early July and more than 43,000 arrests in June, the highest monthly total attributed to the administration in recent reporting.
"There's a legal system to go through," Mullin said. "But if you choose not to even begin or not to change your status, if you've been here 25 years, I can't help you."
Contact: Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy at [email protected].
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