Trump DHS Nominee Mullin advances in Senate procedural vote

Alicia Diaz, Bloomberg News on Mar 22, 2026

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Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin advanced toward confirmation as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, clearing a procedural obstacle on Sunday that put his nomination on track for a final Senate vote early this week.

The 54-37 procedural vote signals the 48-year-old first-term Oklahoma senator and former mixed-martial-arts fighter has sufficient support to be installed as leader of the department, which has been stuck in a funding shutdown for more than a month because of a partisan clash over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.

Immigration agents’ killing of two U.S. citizen protesters in separate incidents in Minneapolis prompted demonstrations across the country. Democrats are demanding restrictions on immigration agents, including that they stop wearing masks in most situations and obtain judicial warrants before raiding private homes.

The funding lapse has halted nonessential functions at the department and most employees are being forced to work without pay. DHS airport security screeners are increasingly absent from work as they go without paychecks, leading to lengthening wait times at airport checkpoints.

President Donald Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airport duty to help ease some of the workload strain. Border czar Tom Homan said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union that they would not be screening luggage but working on “nonsignificant” tasks like guarding exits.

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(With assistance from María Paula Mijares Torres.)

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