Voto Latino: Senator Mullin’s Legislative Record is a Blueprint for Disaster

Washington, D.C. — Following news of President Trump nominating Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Voto Latino issued the following statement:

“Make no mistake: Senator Markwayne Mullin isn’t a fix to the problem, he is a proponent of the most extreme anti-immigrant ideas. By nominating Mullin to lead DHS, the administration is signaling a full-scale assault on the safety, dignity, and civil rights of the immigrant and Latino community. Mullin has spent years auditioning for this role by echoing hateful and deeply divisive rhetoric, framing the deportation of American children as a feature of his agenda and treating our community as guilty until proven innocent with his ‘show me your papers’ ideology. He isn’t here to restore the rule of law; he’s here to finish building a deportation machine designed to terrorize our families.

Voto Latino will not stand by while DHS is used as a tool for political persecution; we are watching, we are organizing, and we will hold this administration accountable for every attempt to sow fear within our communities.”

Senator Mullin’s record provides a disturbing roadmap of his plans for American families:

Championing “Show Me Your Papers” Politics: Mullinsupportsmandatory proof of citizenship, a dangerous ideology that invites rampant racial profiling.Weaponizing Family Separation: He haspushedto end birthright citizenship, arguing that the U.S.-born children should be expelled to “stay with their parents.”Protecting Abuse, Not People:He hasshieldedfederal agents from accountability, even incasesof documented human rights abuses and state-sponsored killings.Legislative Obstruction:Mullin co-sponsored theLaken Riley Actand weaponized a tragedy to justify the mass, indefinite detention of immigrants. He also repeatedly voted against theDream Actandbipartisan border security reform.

The new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security must begin by restoring transparency and accountability at the agency. This includes enabling a transparent investigation—working with state and local law enforcement—into the deaths of Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Ruben Ray Martinez, and others, while ensuring ICE and Border Patrol are never deployed at election sites. The department must also end deportations to the CECOT prison, stop wasteful taxpayer spending on multimillion-dollar ads and luxury perks, and respond promptly to congressional oversight. Retraining personnel on constitutional law will be a critical step toward rebuilding public trust and ensuring DHS operates within the law.

Voto Latino will not stay silent while this administration signals its intent to prioritize political persecution over the constitutional rights of our neighbors and families.

###

Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered over two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.