Markwayne Mullin Installed as New DHS Secretary After Noem Removed

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was installed as the new Secretary of Homeland Security on approximately April 1, 2026, following Kristi Noem's removal from the position. Noem's removal came in the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, during which federal agents fatally shot two people — Renée Nicole Macklin Good (January 7) and ICU nurse Alex Pretti (January 24) — both U.S. citizens, triggering the DHS partial government shutdown and the massive March 28 'No Kings' protests. Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter and conservative Republican senator, indicated he would pursue a 'less headline-grabbing approach' to enforcement while maintaining the administration's mass deportation goals. Democrats immediately called for Senate confirmation hearings, arguing a recess appointment without Senate vetting was inappropriate for a cabinet officer overseeing 240,000 employees.