FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2026
CONTACT: Rachel Dupree, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, amid a lengthy partial government shutdown, unmet demands to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and rampant abuse in immigration detention camps, the Senate held a confirmation hearing for Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), an unqualified and hardline anti-immigrant official, as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Appointing a new face to a violent and unaccountable agency does nothing to protect our democracy or the rights of our neighbors. The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) strongly opposes the confirmation of Senator Mullin to DHS and encourages Senators to question with full force and demand accountability during confirmation hearings.
In addition to his limited experience managing complex agencies, and known for his quick-to-react demeanor, Senator Mullin is in lock-step with the Trump administration’s agenda of mass detention and deportation. For these reasons, NPNA has no confidence in the Senator’s ability or willingness to ensure fairness or transparency in the U.S. immigration system—to address issues like growing naturalization barriers, flagrant violations of due process, the rising detention death toll, and other Constitutional threats.
Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “During today’s hearing, we heard no real commitment from Senator Mullin to change course on ICE’s unconstitutional home break-ins, daily arrest quotas, pop-up detention centers, or harmful statements regarding Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We will not be fooled by fake accountability. Instead, we must root out the causes of cruelty and a white nationalist agenda, not simply slap a new face on it, pretending it’s real change. The administration has yet to address the common-sense demands to rein in the harms of ICE and DHS, and we have no confidence that Senator Mullin will do so.
Known for his quick-to-react demeanor, Senator Mullin’s management could have disastrous impacts when attempting to run an agency prone to high levels of tension. Mullin’s track record clearly shows his willingness to follow in Stephen Miller’s footsteps to enact cruelty and dismantle democratic norms, starting with the U.S. immigration system. As the Senate prepares for Mullin’s confirmation hearing, NPNA calls on all lawmakers to oppose confirmation of Senator Mullin to DHS at this critical juncture for our nation’s democracy.”
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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of over 70 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 40 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.