Homeland Security Chief Markwayne Mullin got his fingers caught in the Republicans’ chaotic political machine this weekend.
He is now facing a roar of public criticism from pro-American populists who are appalled by his Friday suggestions that he would help business groups by minimizing the deportation of non-violent migrants and by providing more temporary workers to labor-intensive business sectors.
“Mullin supports amnesty,” declared Mike Cernovich.
“Mullin was the wrong choice from day one,” said Steve Ferguson.
“Man, I miss Secretary Noem,” said Nick Sortor.
“Pro-borders voters have been deceived over and over and over again, so they’re predisposed not to trust any authority figures on immigration,” countered Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies. He added:
So when Mullen says things that would suggest he’s [covertly] pursuing a similar kind of deceptive policy — a “Boob bait for the bubbas” policy where you make noise that voters like and then not really follow through — people get upset, and I get that … But you know he’s not actually in charge, the president is in charge. It’s his administration. He’s not a fan of some of that [enforcement] stuff, so Mullen is taking some of the heat for something that isn’t necessarily his decision … It’s the White House’s decision, the President’s decision. So basically, [part of] Mullen’s job is to take the heat for the President[‘s zig-zagging between donors and populists].
American politics make it difficult for factions and majorities to gain decisive wins, said Krikorian. Instead, he said, “you win through hitting a series of singles and doubles … or if you get six yards per play,” adding:
The problem is that that the President’s voters have been deceived and lied to for so long [by prior politicians] that getting six yards of play just doesn’t seem good enough. But it is going to have to be good enough because in the real world, that’s how you get [political] touchdowns.
President Donald Trump has delivered huge wins on funding, border security, deportations, legalized migration, economic policy, and trade deals that do not contain migration giveaways. For example, in the same Friday speech where he provoked pro-border activists, Mullin also rejected appeals from governors for fewer deportations and more migrants:
We want to take care of Americans First. It’s our economy. It’s our homeland. But there’s a way to utilize labor where we’re not having the participation rate [by Americans] we need to [have] … People want to talk about the workforce. I understand that, but a workforce that’s an illegal workforce only grows illegal activity. It doesn’t grow the economy in long term. It’s a short term solution, but it’s going to be long term problems. It is important that we understand that.
But there are many gaps in the administration’s strategy, said Krikorian. “There are some things I think Mullen could do that would address some of that … talking about the benefits to American workers of changing or dialing back those [white collar migration] programs, and also significantly increasing worksite enforcement.”
Breitbart News has closely covered the administration’s zig-zag responses and self-serving demands for a bigger inflow of imported consumers, renters, and workers.
But the White House’s messaging — amid relentless hostility from establishment editors — is also a compromise kludge that creates problems for both Mullin and Trump, said Krikorian.
The “Worst of the Worst” narrative suggests to ordinary Americans that the DHS is deporting criminal migrants, even though it is properly deporting many migrants who came to work, said Krikorian. The administration needs a new message from the president saying, “regular illegal aliens who aren’t raping anybody still have to go home because of the rule of law and the effect on workers and welfare and birthright citizenship too,” he said.
The White House also hurts its cause by ramping up the estimated number of migrants who were welcomed by President Joe Biden, Krikorian said:
The president and a lot of people on the pro-border side are hyping up big [inflow] numbers under Biden, saying he let in 20 million illegal aliens … But if you say he let in 20 million … well then if you succeed in deporting a million people in a year, it doesn’t seem all that big a deal. They’re undermining the success that ICE is having by exaggerating the size of the problem.
Amid the uproar, Mullin also gets some online support from border hawks.
“Nothing in this clip says Mullin supports amnesty,” wrote one X user in defense of Mullin, adding:
[He] says immigration reform has been dead since the 50s, and says people who cross illegally or overstay their visa still broke the law. He also adds that illegal workers are a bad thing. Not hardcore rhetoric maybe, but why lie?
Mullin also gets careful pressure from lobbies who exist to also prod politicians — and many politicians quietly welcome the prodding because it helps them fend off donors’ destructive demands for even more migrants.
“We WANT to see you in our cities,” the Immigration Accountability Project tweeted August 1 after Mullin suggested that he would stop ICE arrests in cities that help deport violent migrants. “We want EVERY illegal alien deported. Not just those who commit extra crimes, but ALL OF THEM.”
“There are a lot of immigration guys saying, ‘Oh, this is it’s all over, and you know, Trump’s no better than Biden,’” said Krikorian. “It is ridiculous, it is kind of crazy.”
The proper strategy, he said, is “Take the wins we’re getting and push for more.”
