By Michelle Hackman
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.) won confirmation to replace Kristi Noem as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
The final vote was 54-45 with Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) voting against him over a personal dispute, and Sens. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) and Martin Heinrich (D., N.M.) breaking with all other Democrats to support the Trump nominee.
The background
Noem became the first cabinet member to be fired during President Trump's second term after questions arose about chaos in the department under her leadership and spending on a roughly $200 million ad blitz in which she was prominently featured.
Mullin has little experience with national immigration policy, one of the DHS's main functions, but he is a close ally of Trump.
Why it matters
Trump's advisers view the firing of Noem as a prime moment for a reset after aggressive displays of immigration enforcement characterized his first year in office. It will be up to Mullin -- a former mixed martial arts fighter -- to move the department in a more low-profile direction while still fulfilling Trump's core campaign promise to deport large numbers of immigrants.
What's next
Mullin will inherit a department that has been shut down for more than a month over Democrats' concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement's tactics. Though ICE has continued to operate with money from Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill, employees who work other parts of the DHS, such as the Transportation Security Administration, have gone without pay.
Mullin will likely help the administration negotiate with Democrats to reopen his agency. The administration deployed ICE agents to several U.S. airports Monday to help manage long security lines.
Write to Michelle Hackman at michelle.hackman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 23, 2026 20:31 ET (00:31 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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