Former Trump administration border czar Tom Homan offered a full-throated endorsement of new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during a panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas on Thursday. Homan, a key architect of the prior administration's immigration enforcement strategy, described the former Oklahoma senator as the perfect fit for what he called the government's most difficult job.
A Controversial Mandate
"It's the right guy, right time, right job," Homan declared to the CPAC audience. He elaborated that leading the Department of Homeland Security is "the most grueling, controversial, hardest job in United States government, because no matter what you do, people hate you." Homan suggested Mullin shares his own confrontational approach, stating, "I think he's like me. I don't care if people hate me, I don't give a s--- what they think about me."
Homan said Mullin is already "digging in deep" to his responsibilities after assuming the role this week. The endorsement comes as the new secretary faces immediate crisis, with DHS shuttered for over 40 days due to a congressional funding impasse.
Shutdown Standoff Intensifies
Democratic legislators are refusing to approve a DHS funding package until the Trump administration agrees to several major reforms to immigration enforcement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection adopt a mask ban for officers, establish a universal code of conduct, and implement judicial warrant reforms.
The White House has countered with its own proposed changes, including expanded body camera usage for federal officers and limits on enforcement operations near sensitive locations like churches and schools. Democrats have so far rejected these counter-proposals, maintaining their blockade.
A minor crack appeared in the Democratic front on Thursday when four House Democrats broke ranks to support a Republican-led measure to reopen the department. However, Senate Democrats continue to block the legislation. Party leadership is instead pushing a bill that would fund only the Transportation Security Administration, where employees have gone without pay for over a month due to the shutdown.
Operational Consequences Mount
The funding lapse has caused severe operational strain. Staffing shortages at TSA have led to hours-long security wait times at major airports across the country, as fewer officers report for work without guaranteed pay. The growing travel chaos has increased pressure on the White House to find a resolution, with President Trump reportedly considering executive action to address the TSA crisis specifically.
Some Senate Republicans have floated a piecemeal approach: funding TSA and other critical DHS agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard, while deferring funding for ICE and CBP to a later reconciliation process. This proposal has yet to gain significant traction within the GOP conference.
The DHS shutdown and the contentious confirmation of its new leader occur against a backdrop of other significant foreign and domestic challenges for the administration. Recent cabinet meetings have been dominated by the Iran conflict, even as new domestic policy initiatives are launched, such as civil rights investigations into several prominent medical schools.
Homan's appearance at CPAC placed the DHS debate squarely within the conservative political arena. The conference also featured speeches from other prominent Republicans, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Senator Ted Cruz. Homan himself remains an active figure in immigration policy debates, recently defying Democratic pressure by directing ICE agents to continue wearing masks during operations.
