Trump’s DHS Nominee Describes When ICE Agents Need Warrants For Enforcement As Shutdown Talks Stall

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Wednesday he would require federal immigration agents to obtain court warrants to enter private property.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin supported the arrest warrants during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The requirement for judicial warrants addresses one of Democrats’ crucial reform demands for the department’s law enforcement agencies, as they continue to withhold votes to fund DHS after 33 days of a partial government shutdown. (RELATED: What Democrats aren’t saying about their demands for a judicial mandate for ICE)

“We will not enter a home or place of business without a court warrant unless we prosecute the individual who breaks into a place of business or home,” Mullin told his colleagues at the hearing.

Mullin also said he does not plan to send DHS law enforcement agents to polling locations unless there is a current danger.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 18: U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) testifies during a confirmation hearing to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The White House has been active in negotiations with Senate Democrats and sent the party an updated offer Tuesday to end the shutdown that has disrupted travel nationwide as thousands of Transportation Security Administration agents go without pay. Other crucial programs, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are unfunded.

In its offer letter, the administration said it would agree to expand the use of body cameras for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers, require officers to wear visible identification and state their agency and ID when asked, limit immigration checks at schools, churches, and sensitive locations, and would not expel or detain U.S. citizens unless a law is violated.

Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Mullin’s support for arrest warrants was “positive” but still highlighted the party’s remaining demands, such as officers’ use-of-force policy.

Coons and New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen told DCNF that Mullin’s commitment to enforcing court mandates was encouraging because it would return DHS to the way it previously operated. Shaheen called the Oklahoma senator’s comments “helpful” in moving funding negotiations forward.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would not support Mullin’s nomination, saying the department’s leadership would not solve the agencies’ “problems.”

“What Americans need more than just a change in leadership is a change in policy at DHS,” he said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

“In addition to his commitment to securing our homeland, Senator Mullin plans to bring peace of mind and confidence to the agency, building on President Trump’s America First immigration policies,” Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “Senator Mullin has represented Oklahoma with integrity and will provide the same leadership to secure our border, stop the flow of illegal drugs, and hold illegal aliens accountable for their crimes.”

The White House also proposed increasing funding for body cameras from the initial $20 million to $100 million, as well as proposed inspector general audits and noncompliance reviews.

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