Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Tuesday that the administration’s immigration policy would not change after midterm losses dealt Republicans a major setback. “Amnesty will never be on the table,” he said.
Speaking on “The Ingraham Angle,” Mullin responded to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Republicans work with Democrats. He said the administration is still deporting about 3,600 people a day and has no plans to slow those efforts.
Mullin said enforcement priorities have shifted toward people he described as the “worst of the worst,” including murderers, rapists, child predators, drug traffickers and cartel members.
He also said Republicans should not expect cooperation from Democrats, arguing that their demands would never be satisfied. Mullin criticized the Democratic Socialists of America, accusing the group of influencing the party’s direction and seeking to defund the Department of Homeland Security.
“You want to defund the agency tasked with keeping our homeland safe?” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Mullin pointed to Trump’s comments about using his veto power, saying the president would reject legislation he and Republicans oppose. He added that Trump would not sign a bill unless he believed it was right for the country and the Republican Party.
Mullin also argued that strict immigration enforcement is essential to national security, saying a country cannot be secure without knowing who is within its borders.
