U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks to reporters he arrives for the House Republicans conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 21, 2026. REUTERS/Eric Lee
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is failing to meet White House expectations four months into his tenure, facing criticism for making major policy decisions without explicit presidential approval.
The breaking point came when Mullin unilaterally ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents nationwide to halt vehicle stops following fatal shootings in Texas and Maine, a decision announced without White House consultation, reported NBC NEWS.
President Donald Trump reversed the policy within 24 hours, publicly contradicting his own Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, secretary.
Administration insiders told NBC News, "The decision to pause vehicle stops was '100%' a bad move and that it was done without White House sign-off."
The incident underscores Trump's expectation that cabinet secretaries must seek presidential sign-off on major policy shifts.
Mullin has also faced scrutiny for inaccurately invoking immigration law during a CNN interview, reported NBC News.
Questions about his fitness for the role are mounting, particularly concerns over his choice of Lance Schroyer as ICE director, whom DHS insiders describe as having "extremely limited" immigration law knowledge.
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