Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is signaling openness to a bipartisan deal that would grant permanent legal status to people protected under the Obama-era DACA program—while insisting he won’t support what he calls “amnesty,” according to Politico and statements posted on X.
Open to a DACA deal, with a caveat
Politico reported that Mullin said he “would not oppose new laws” that give permanent legal status to individuals covered by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. In remarks quoted by the outlet, Mullin said, “If we want to have an immigration reform where we can look at DACA and figure out a way that these individuals can become maybe legal permanent citizens or something like this, that’ll be up to Congress to do that. I’ll be open to talk to anything.”
In a post on X, reporter Sophia Cai wrote that Mullin told her he is “open to a bipartisan immigration deal that includes DACA permanent legal status,” while drawing “a red line on amnesty.” Cai added that Mullin said Democrats affiliated with No Labels contacted him about immigration reform and that former President Donald Trump “encouraged him to engage,” quoting Mullin as saying Trump told him, “let’s start working with them and then let’s meet at some point.”
‘No amnesty,’ Mullin says; Roy pushes back
Politico quoted Mullin as saying, “Amnesty is never going to be a solution. We’re never going to allow amnesty to happen. So that’s a full stop… I will be flat out against amnesty when it comes to enforcing our nation’s laws.”
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas objected on X, writing on Nov. 9, 2026: “Well, that IS amnesty and will cement political devastation. No amnesty.”
Past vote and advocacy group’s framing
Heritage Action noted that Mullin, then a Republican member of Congress from Oklahoma, voted against the Dream Act in 2021. The group described that legislation as intended to “codify and expand amnesty granted by the Obama administration’s unconstitutional Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by allowing so-called Dreamers… to permanently avoid deportation, obtain a pathway to citizenship, and full voting rights.”
At the time, Mullin said, “Encouraging illegal immigration by providing mass amnesty is the last thing the federal government should be doing during this crisis,” according to OKW.
Enforcement focus and ‘collateral’ arrests
Politico also reported Mullin’s description of current enforcement priorities: “We have prioritized the worst of the worst since I walked in the door,” he said. He added that when officers serve a warrant, others present are sometimes arrested as “collateral criminals,” saying there may be “one or two or three or maybe four individuals” in a vehicle or house at the time.
