Recently sworn-in U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin pulled no punches Tuesday, accusing Democrats of keeping parts of the agency shuttered for over a month in a deliberate effort to hamstring ICE’s efforts to remove dangerous criminals from American streets.
For over a month, the defund-the-police Democrats have kept @DHSgov closed in an attempt to slow down ICE’s efforts to remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and terrorists from our country and open our borders. Time and time again the Democrats have prioritized… https://t.co/J2v7n1Z9Uq
— Secretary Markwayne Mullin (@SecMullinDHS) April 1, 2026
In a pointed social media post, the former Oklahoma senator and newly confirmed DHS chief said “defund-the-police Democrats” have prioritized “murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and terrorists” over law-abiding citizens. Quote-posting Trump’s Truth Social promises of bypassing Democrats, Mullin thanked the President for standing with those who risk their lives daily to secure the border and enforce immigration laws.
The sharp rebuke comes amid a record-long partial shutdown of DHS functions that began in mid-February after Democrats demanded a De facto constitutional amendment, limiting removal operations. Yet, due to the first reconciliation bill of Trump’s second term, ICE remained fully funded through the shutdown while non-enforcement parts of the department like TSA experienced significant delays and strain.
Republicans, with a slim majority in both chambers, are now advancing a second reconciliation bill as part of a two-track strategy to deliver on President Trump’s promises.
Senate Republicans, led in part by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, proposed using the budget reconciliation process — which requires only a simple majority and bypasses the Democratic filibuster — to lock in stable funding for ICE and related enforcement for the next decade.
“And so, what I’ve argued to my colleagues is let’s take up reconciliation, and let’s fund ICE for the next decade, because the Democrats are going to vote against ICE funding for the foreseeable future, I think, potentially forever,” Cruz said on Fox News.
Cruz has estimated the long-term package could total around $100 billion, building on earlier reconciliation efforts that already directed billions toward border security.
Proponents argue the move would end annual funding fights that have repeatedly turned into political leverage points over deportation operations. House and Senate GOP leadership announced this week they would first advance the regular budget in order to fund the rest of DHS through September while excluding ICE and certain Border Patrol funds. A separate reconciliation bill would then target multi-year enforcement dollars, shielding aggressive DHS efforts from future congressional gridlock.
While Democrats used the same tactics to pass Biden-era policies, they’re now criticizing the strategy as an affront to bipartisan oversight. Supporters counter that the strategy keeps the filibuster intact – vital for the stability of procedure – while delivering stronger border security and the decreased crime rates that Americans voted for.
As lawmakers return from recess, and with Mullin now at the helm, the administration has signaled it intends to move quickly on deportations—anticipating legislative success.
