Secretary Markwayne Mullin was sworn in March 24 as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), hours after the Senate confirmed him in a 54-35 vote on the night of March 23.
🚨 @SecMullinDHS is officially sworn in as the ninth Secretary of Homeland Security pic.twitter.com/QuIKxs571g
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 24, 2026
Mullin’s confirmation comes weeks after President Donald Trump dismissed former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from the role. As Zeale News previously reported, Trump announced March 5 that he would nominate Mullin — then a Republican Oklahoma senator — to replace Noem. Trump’s announcement came as the DHS faced criticism over tactics used by immigration agents in Minneapolis, particularly after the deaths of two U.S. citizens in January.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony, Trump said, “Everything [Mullin’s] done has been good — I say everything he touched has turned to gold.”
He added that Mullin would “continue our record-setting efforts to deport these illegal alien criminals from our country” and “protect American lives.”
Mullin told attendees at the ceremony that he was humbled by the President’s recognition and vowed to work to protect Americans as secretary.
“I don’t care what color your state is. I don't care if you’re red or you’re blue,” he said. “At the end of the day, my job is to be Secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same — and we will do that.”
.@SecMullinDHS speaks upon swearing in as the 9th Secretary of @DHSgov: "I don’t care what color your state is. I don't care if you're red or you're blue. At the end of the day, my job is to be Secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same—and we will do that." pic.twitter.com/k5jGyZzKvn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 24, 2026
Mullin also praised DHS employees who have been working without pay amid the shutdown, thanking them for their “dedication to show up and still protect the homeland that you and I enjoy, and the freedoms that we’re experiencing, working for free, because of politics.”
Mullin has represented Oklahoma in the Senate since 2023 after serving six terms in the House. He is taking over the DHS as the department faces a weekslong shutdown amid Democratic lawmakers’ continued calls for reforms to immigration enforcement. Several media outlets, including the New York Post, reported March 24 that Senate Republicans were nearing a deal with Democrats to reopen the DHS.
On March 23, Trump dispatched U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to airports, saying they would help Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees maintain security operations as the shutdown entered its sixth week.