Washington, March 25 – US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that Department of Homeland Security employees working “30 days without pay” demonstrated their dedication, vowing to stand with them “365 days” as a funding impasse continues.
Mullin made the remarks after being sworn in at the Oval Office by Attorney General Pam Bondi, taking charge of the department at a time of political deadlock over funding in Congress.
“I had the opportunity to meet many of the DHS employees,” Mullin said. “These employees have been working for 30 days without pay.”
He said their continued service reflected their commitment to national security. “If you need to see their dedication, come and see them still protecting the homeland that we all enjoy and the freedoms we experience,” he said. “They are working for free because of political issues.”
Mullin said he would match that commitment. “As you fight for 365 days, understand that I will be fighting alongside you for 365 days,” he said.
He also outlined his personal approach to the job. “No one will outwork me, and I will not let anyone outwork me,” Mullin said. “The president has entrusted me with this responsibility, and failure is not an option.”
The Oklahoma Republican struck a unifying tone, saying his role would be non-partisan. “I don’t care what color your state is, or if you’re red or blue,” he said. “At the end of the day, my job is to be the Secretary of Homeland Security and to protect everyone equally.”
President Donald Trump, who presided over the ceremony, praised Mullin as a “great American patriot” and said he would lead the department with strength and fairness.
Trump also used the occasion to criticize Democrats over the funding standoff, saying the department had been “shut down” after lawmakers “blocked all funding for DHS”.
The president linked the funding dispute to broader policy differences on immigration and enforcement, accusing Democrats of trying to shield “illegal alien criminals, gang members”.
He said the administration would continue efforts to remove such individuals from the country. “Every single illegal migrant with a criminal record must be deported immediately,” Trump said.
During the event, Trump also highlighted his administration’s record on border security. He said the United States had created “the most secure border in US history” and achieved “the largest drop in illegal immigration ever recorded”.
Mullin’s appointment marks a transition in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border enforcement, immigration, transportation security and disaster response.
Created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, DHS is one of the largest federal departments and plays a central role in domestic security.
Mullin, who has served in Congress for more than a decade, has been a close ally of Trump and an advocate for stricter border enforcement and immigration controls.