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Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is set to face tough questions on Wednesday about how he would carry out President Trump\u2019s mass deportation campaign and change the Homeland Security Department in the wake of a string of controversies that led to Kristi Noem\u2019s firing as secretary.<\/p>\n
Mr. Mullin will testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee for a confirmation hearing, about two weeks after Mr. Trump ousted Ms. Noem<\/a> and named him to lead the department. He is personally well liked by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and many Republicans have already expressed support for his nomination. Still, he is expected to be grilled by Democrats, who are likely to use the hearing to highlight their demands for new restrictions on immigration enforcement operations.<\/p>\n Few details are publicly known about Mr. Mullin\u2019s stances on immigration policy. He has not served on<\/a> any of the congressional committees that directly oversee immigration enforcement, but he is a close ally of Mr. Trump and has staunchly defended the administration\u2019s deportation drive.<\/p>\n His nomination comes at a tumultuous time for the Homeland Security Department, which saw its funding lapse<\/a> more than a month ago. Democrats in Congress have refused to pass a spending bill without new restrictions on immigration officers, like barring agents from wearing masks. Although work deemed \u201cessential\u201d has continued, roughly 100,000 employees are reporting to their jobs without pay<\/a>, leading some airport security officers to quit or not report to work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Although Mr. Mullin has strong support among Republicans, he could face sharp questions from Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the chairman of the committee. Mr. Mullin is among Mr. Trump\u2019s ardent supporters in the Senate and has been critical of Mr. Paul, who sometimes bucks his party even at the risk of threatening the president\u2019s legislative priorities.<\/p>\n Mr. Paul deflected questions on Tuesday about whether he would vote to advance Mr. Mullin\u2019s nomination. Mr. Paul, who holds libertarian views, has raised concerns<\/a> about the Trump administration\u2019s aggressive immigration crackdown and whether it is infringing on Americans\u2019 civil liberties. He is expected to ask Mr. Mullin about the enforcement operations.<\/p>\n Many Democrats have said they do not believe that Mr. Mullin\u2019s leadership will substantially change the department\u2019s actions, given his close alignment with Mr. Trump. Their demands for firmer commitments for policy changes ramped up after immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis this year.<\/p>\n Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said that Mr. Mullin\u2019s previous statements indicated that he had \u201cno real intent to reform the agency,\u201d but that he would still press him on how he could take a different approach compared with Ms. Noem.<\/p>\n Of all the issues, \u201cmost important to Americans right now are whether he\u2019s going to reform the agency in a way that stops the ongoing lawlessness and reckless brutality of ICE and CBP,\u201d Mr. Blumenthal said in an interview, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, the two main immigration enforcement agencies within the Homeland Security Department.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Blumenthal said Mr. Mullin\u2019s past statements about Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti were \u201cpretty over the top.\u201d After their deaths, Mr. Mullin said in social media posts that immigration officers were \u201cpatriots\u201d who were facing increasing threats, and that \u201cmost Americans follow ICE instructions without thinking twice.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Blumenthal said Mr. Mullin could prove a better administrator than Ms. Noem. \u201cOn the other hand, he has been very hard-line on immigration and seemingly defensive of Trump\u2019s policies on ICE enforcement abuses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr. Mullin\u2019s financial dealings could also come under scrutiny. His wealth has ballooned<\/a> since he began serving in the House in 2013, and he has been one of the most prolific stock buyers in Congress. A spokeswoman for Mr. Mullin said that the senator did not personally direct or inform his family\u2019s stock purchases, and that he used a third-party firm that manages all stock investments.<\/p>\n Senate Republicans could also question Mr. Mullin about how he would oversee the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ms. Noem\u2019s handling of disaster relief funds angered some Republicans,<\/a> who criticized long delays in FEMA assistance.<\/p>\n Ms. Noem\u2019s ouster came after she testified on Capitol Hill<\/a> this month and was pressed on her involvement in a more than $200 million government ad campaign in which she was prominently featured. Her statements that Mr. Trump had approved the ads frustrated the president<\/a>, who later denied that he knew anything about them.<\/p>\n Mr. Mullin\u2019s confirmation is not expected to face major hurdles. Senate Republicans have enough votes to confirm him on their own, and at least one Democrat, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, has said he will vote to confirm him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n