Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin will face tough questions Wednesday about how he will carry out President Trump's mass deportation campaign and transform the Department of Homeland Security following a series of controversies that led to the firing of Secretary Kristi Noem.
Mullin is scheduled to testify at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, about two weeks after Trump ousted Noem and appointed him to head the department. He is personally well-liked by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and many Republicans have already expressed support for his nomination. Still, he is expected to be grilled by Democrats, who are likely to use the hearing to highlight their calls for new restrictions on immigration operations.
Few details have been made public about Marin's stance on immigration policy. Although he has never served on a congressional committee that directly oversees immigration enforcement, he is a close ally of Trump and has been a staunch defender of the administration's deportation push.
His nomination comes at a tumultuous time for the Department of Homeland Security, which experienced a funding lapse more than a month ago. Congressional Democrats have refused to pass a spending bill that does not include new restrictions on immigration agents, such as banning them from wearing masks. Although work deemed “essential” continues, about 100,000 employees are still reporting to work without pay, and some airport security personnel have resigned or not reported to work.
Mullin enjoys strong support among Republicans, but could face pointed questions from the committee's chairman, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Mr. Marin is one of Mr. Trump's most ardent supporters in the Senate and has criticized Mr. Paul for sometimes going against his party at the risk of threatening the president's legislative priorities.
Paul dodged a question Tuesday about whether he would vote to advance Mullin's nomination. Paul, a liberal-minded man, has expressed concern about the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on immigration and how it is infringing on Americans' civil liberties. He plans to ask Mr. Marin questions about his executive duties.
Many Democrats have said they don't believe Marin's leadership will substantively change the department's actions, given her close collaboration with Trump. Their calls for a stronger commitment to policy change intensified after immigration officers shot and killed two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Preti, in Minneapolis this year.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said Mullin's previous statements show she has “no real intention to reform the agency,” but that she will still be forced to figure out how to take a different approach than Noem.
Of all the issues, “the most important thing for Americans right now is whether we are going to reform our agencies in a way that will stop the ongoing misconduct and reckless brutality of ICE and CBP,” Blumenthal said in an interview, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, the two main immigration enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Blumenthal said Mr. Mullin's past statements about Mr. Good and Mr. Preti were “pretty over the top.” After their deaths, Marin said in a social media post that immigration agents were “patriots” facing a growing threat and that “most Americans follow ICE's lead without a second thought.”
Blumenthal said Mullin could prove to be a better administrator than Noem. “On the other hand, Mr. Trump has taken a very hard line on immigration and appears to be defending his policies against human rights abuses in ICE enforcement.”
Marin's financial transactions may also be subject to scrutiny. Since he began serving in the House in 2013, his wealth has ballooned, making him one of Congress' most prolific stock buyers. A spokesperson for Marin said the senator did not personally direct or inform his family of stock purchases and used a third-party company to manage all stock investments.
Senate Republicans may also ask Mullin how he would oversee the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Noem's handling of disaster relief funds has infuriated some Republicans, who criticized the long delays in FEMA aid.
Noem's ouster comes after she testified on Capitol Hill this month and was accused of involvement in a $200 million-plus government ad campaign in which she made headlines. Her statement that Trump had approved the ad irritated the president, who later denied knowing anything about the ad.
There are not expected to be any major hurdles to Mr. Marin's approval. Senate Republicans have enough votes to confirm him alone, and at least one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, has said he will vote to confirm him.
