New ICE boss, same old lies

New ICE boss, same old lies
A fatal ICE shooting in Houston shows Markwayne Mullin is just a male Kristi Noem

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published July 13, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon). When Kristi Noem was pushed out of her job as the secretary of homeland security and replaced with Oklahoma’s GOP senator — and wannabe MMA fighter — Markwayne Mullin, the public was assured he would make all those pesky problems with Immigration and Customs Enforcement go away.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the concentration camp-style immigrant detention centers and the killings of two American citizens during immigration raids as “a little hiccup” and promised a “course correction” under Mullin. The New York Times heralded Mullin’s “warmer and fuzzier tone” during his confirmation hearing as a “sign that the administration wants to project a more moderated approach.” Various Republican leaders praised Mullin as a “good guy” who “likes dogs.”

But savvy people weren’t fooled. This is still Donald Trump’s presidency, an administration that is at least partially being run by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a man so paranoid about foreigners he floated the idea of banning pregnant women from even visiting the U.S., lest they give birth here. (His wife, podcaster Katie Miller, followed up by suggesting mandatory pregnancy tests of anyone suspected of being female coming through customs.)

....(Snip)....

On Tuesday, though, a fatal shooting in Houston served as a grave reminder that nothing has changed substantively at the Department of Homeland Security, much less at ICE. The biggest difference between Mullin and Noem is that he’s male and she’s female, though both are bizarrely committed to cartoonish performances of their gender, with him pretending he’s going to fight people on Capitol Hill and her apparent cosmetic transformations. ........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/07/13/new-ice-boss-same-old-lies/