Noem out, Mullin in

On Thursday, Pres. Donald Trump announced that he was replacing the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kristi Noem, with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin. The announcement came after Noem testified at Senate and House oversight hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The change is effective on March 31.

During her Senate hearing, Noem faced tough questions from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who questioned her use of DHS funds for an advertising campaign to, according to Kennedy, build up her image. Additional questions regarding her leadership team and contracting process arose during the House hearing.

Under Pres. Trump's direction, Noem implemented policies that ended the Biden Border Surge, resulting in some of the lowest border apprehension numbers since the federal government began reporting them. She also ended the Biden-era parole programs that allowed millions of inadmissible aliens to enter the United States through ports of entry, strengthened vetting for some guest worker visas, and terminated Temporary Protected Status for several countries.

What do we know about Mullin?

Sen. Mullin was first elected to the House in 2013 and the Senate in 2023. According to IAPAction.com, Mullin currently ranks No. 21 among all Senators on the issue of immigration. Aside from cosponsoring the SAVE Act and the SAVE America Act, which both require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, his bill sponsorships focus on enforcement. He cosponsored S. 5, the Laken Riley Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by Pres. Trump. The legislation requires mandatory detention for certain aliens who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.

Sen. Mullin has also raised concerns about H-1B visas being used to replace American workers, particularly American college graduates.

You can view Sen. Mullin's full record here: https://iaproject.org/accountability/members/M001190

The Immigration Accountability Project is part of the Mass Deportation Coalition that is preparing a playbook with a variety of policy options the Trump Administration can use to increase deportations to at least one million per year. The Coalition released a statement last night, congratulating Sen. Mullin on his appointment.

“The newly formed Mass Deportation Coalition congratulates Senator Markwayne Mullin on his nomination to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. After four years of disastrous and radical policies under Joe Biden, President Trump has restored border security and removed hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens, focusing on dangerous criminal aliens. ...

“We would welcome the opportunity to present the incoming Secretary with our playbook, due for release by April 1, 2026, outlining how to achieve President Trump's signature campaign promise.”

DHS shutdown continues

The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is heading into its fourth week, and there is still no end in sight. Most of the agency's 260,000 employees are considered essential and continue to work without pay and will miss their second paycheck next week if there's no resolution.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7744 to fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year, 221 to 209. Only four Democrats voted with all the Republicans to reopen the agency, including Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME), Don Davis (D-NC), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), and Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA). Democrats are demanding that provisions to prevent nearly all immigration enforcement be added to the bill.

Also on Thursday, the Senate attempted to bring H.R. 7174, an earlier DHS funding bill, to the floor for a vote, but Democrats blocked that from happening. The procedural move, which required 60 votes, failed 51 to 45, with only Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) joining the Republicans in support of the bill.

Rep. Patronis surges in Immigration Rankings

Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) jumped 56 spots in this week’s release of the Congressional Immigration Rankings at IAPAction.com. Rep. Patronis cosponsored three bills that are rated as Key Legislation, including H.R. 251, the Legal Workforce Act, which would require all employers to use E-Verify, H.R. 1241, SAFE for America Act, which would end the visa lottery, and H.R. 2315, the Fairness for High Skilled Americans Act, which would end the Optional Practical Training program. Rep. Patronis now ranks No. 155 in the House overall.

Reps. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) and Mark Takano (D-CA) both slipped seven spots in this week’s rankings, dropping to No. 126 and No. 358, respectively. Rep. Van Orden cosponsored H.R. 2729, the Carnivals are Real Entertainment Act, which would allow carnival and circus workers to enter the country through the unlimited P visa program, usually reserved for recognized artists and athletes. Rep. Takano cosponsored H.R. 5973, the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, which would limit the use of force by federal agents in immigration enforcement, prohibit masks for ICE officers, require the use of body cameras, and require ICE to notify state and local officials before missions in their jurisdictions.

View the full Immigration Rankings at IAPAction.com.

Immigration Articles

Washington Times: Immigration court shuts down ‘amnesty’ loophole for hundreds of thousands of migrants

The Board of Immigration Appeals has issued a ruling to end the practice of "administrative closure," effectively closing a loophole that allowed hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens to remain in the United States indefinitely by placing their deportation cases on inactive dockets.

USCIS: DHS Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Yemen

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemen, effective May 4, 2026, after determining the country no longer meets the necessary statutory conditions for the designation.

New York Post: Mother stabbed to death at Virginia bus stop by illegal immigrant with over 30 prior arrests

An illegal alien from Sierra Leone with more than 30 prior arrests was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing 41-year-old Stephanie Minter to death at a Virginia bus stop.

Next Week

The House of Representatives is out next week as Republicans attend their retreat in Florida, but the Senate is scheduled to be in town. Conservatives will continue to push for action on the SAVE America Act and for DHS funding.