Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin drew criticism from Trump-aligned figures after saying DHS needs more employment visas in some industries and that ICE is not doing raids. The remarks came over the weekend at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting and were followed this week by public pushback from several Trump allies.
Mullin told the meeting that there needs to be more employment visas for the farm and agriculture sector to grow the economy. He said, “Because this narrative that it steals American jobs is true in some industries, it's not true for all industries.” He also said, “We want to take care of Americans first. It’s our economy, it’s our homeland, but there's a way to utilize labor where we're not having the participation rate we need to, and we can plug those holes.”
Greg Bovino and Tomi Lahren
Greg Bovino said on X that Mullin “delivered a masterclass in how to give terrible answers.” Tomi Lahren said on X that his work visa comments were “not what we voted for.” Their criticism centered on the same weekend remarks, turning a policy explanation into a test of how far Trump supporters want DHS to go on labor visas.
After the criticism, Mullin posted on X: “NO amnesty for illegal aliens. Ever. We are a nation of laws. If you are illegally present in the United States of America -- you will be detained and deported. Period.” He also said DHS does not want to do job site raids or sweep big-box hardware store parking lots as it had earlier.
Steve Bannon and Mike Howell
Mullin said DHS is trying to get the “worst of the worst” off the streets. He added, “ICE isn't doing any raids. We're not kicking the door. We're not doing traffic stops.” He said, “We're simply grabbing those individuals when they leave,” and called the effort part of providing “safety for our streets.”
Steve Bannon told Politico that “Mullin is the wrong guy at the wrong time for the wrong job -- a time when we need focus on 'mass deportations,' we get an amnesty advocate.” Mike Howell told News, “The base wants commas in the deportation numbers, not drama.” He also said, “This weekend was drama.”
DHS, Stephen Miller and Tom Homan
DHS said Mullin works closely with Stephen Miller and Tom Homan to deliver on the American people's mandate to remove criminal illegal aliens from this country. The department also said, “Secretary Mullin has been clear: if you come to the United States illegally, you will be detained and deported,” and, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are enforcing the law and making America safe again.”
The dispute leaves Mullin trying to hold two positions at once: more labor visas in some industries, and a hard line on detention and deportation. For now, the criticism has stayed at the level of public pressure, and the next step is whether Mullin or DHS changes how they talk about work visas and ICE tactics after backlash inside Trump’s base.
