Published by TrenBuzz.com | June 2, 2026 | BREAKING
Key Points at a Glance – DHS Secretary Mullin Refuses Four Times to Commit
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin refused Tuesday to commit to following federal court orders, citing “politicized courts.”
- Sen. Chris Murphy asked him four times for a straight answer. Four times, Mullin refused to say yes.
- A Republican-appointed Minnesota judge had already cited ICE for violating nearly 100 court orders in January 2026 alone.
- Mullin replaced Kristi Noem after she was fired following the deaths of two US citizens during ICE operations in Minneapolis.
- Mullin conceded that his predecessor Noem had inaccurately described two Minneapolis shootings involving immigration officers.
- Murphy warned: “You should be really freaked out” by a Cabinet secretary refusing to commit to court compliance.
It was the simplest question a senator could ask a Cabinet secretary. And for the fourth time in a row, Markwayne Mullin still would not answer it.
Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin promised to senators Tuesday that his department will always follow the law, or his interpretation of it, at least. In his first appearance before his former colleagues since taking over DHS two months ago, Mullin refused to commit to complying with court rulings that find the agency acted illegally.
What Murphy Actually Asked
“When DHS gets a court order telling them that something they are doing is either illegal and unconstitutional, can you commit to us that if a court judges something ICE is doing as illegal, unconstitutional, or tells you to stop, that you will comply with the court order?” Murphy asked. Mullin responded: “I’m going to enforce the law, and I’ll never break the Constitution.”
The Damning Statistic From a Republican Judge
“ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” Murphy quoted Chief US District Judge Patrick Schiltz in Minnesota, a Republican-appointed judge, describing the scale of illegality.
Why Mullin Says He Won’t Commit
Mullin accused some federal judges of politicizing their decisions, declining to confirm that his department would follow legal rulings. “If we didn’t think courts were politicized, then I would probably be able to answer that,” the former senator from Oklahoma said. “But we see courts over and over again that use their bench for their political opinion, not just the rule of law.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin refused Tuesday to commit to following federal court orders, telling senators he reserves the right to disregard rulings he considers politically motivated, setting off a tense confrontation at a Senate Appropriations hearing with the panel’s top Democrat.
Murphy’s final response to Mullin summed up the constitutional stakes: “You should be really freaked out” that a Cabinet secretary will not say he will follow federal court orders. The exchange is already being cited as one of the most alarming moments of any Senate hearing in years.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All quotes and hearing details are sourced from the Washington Post, NOTUS, Raw Story, Newser, The New Republic, and Yahoo News as of June 2, 2026. TrenBuzz.com does not represent any government or legal body. Readers are encouraged to follow credible news and official Congressional sources for real-time updates.