The Department of Homeland Security says Secretary Markwayne Mullin's quieter approach to implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies should not be seen as caving to Democrats' demands.
A month into his tenure, Mullin is facing pressure from some conservative groups who worry the administration may be easing off its promise of mass deportations, according to The Washington Post.
But DHS officials reject that narrative, arguing the strategy is shifting, not weakening, as the administration works to deliver results while avoiding the kind of public backlash that marked earlier enforcement efforts.
Mullin has emphasized a "more quiet way" of conducting operations, signaling a move away from highly visible raids that drew criticism after deadly incidents in Minneapolis.
That change in tone has sparked concern among some activists, including the Heritage Foundation-backed Mass Deportation Coalition, which says deportation numbers have fallen short of expectations.
Yet DHS maintains the broader picture tells a different story.
Officials say roughly 3 million illegal migrants have left the country since President Donald Trump returned to office, a figure that includes both deportations and voluntary departures.
The administration has increasingly leaned into encouraging self-deportation as a cost-effective alternative to mass arrests.
"We're not slowing down," Mullin said in a recent interview, stressing that enforcement remains a priority while acknowledging the financial burden of large-scale operations.
The shift also reflects internal guidance to keep DHS from dominating nightly headlines, a strategy aimed at sustaining long-term public support.
At the same time, the administration is expanding detention capacity and hiring more immigration officers after securing $170 billion in enforcement funding from congressional Republicans.
Some immigration hawks remain skeptical.
Critics argue that a drop in large-scale raids and "at-large" arrests, down from over 800 daily last winter to fewer than 500 in March, signals a retreat from aggressive enforcement.
Others, however, see the evolution as pragmatic.
Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies noted that relying solely on high-profile raids is not politically sustainable and called for a broader strategy that includes workplace enforcement and pressure on employers.
Meanwhile, Mullin is juggling additional challenges, including a partial DHS shutdown and tense funding negotiations on Capitol Hill.
According to the Washington Examiner, he has stepped into a familiar role as a mediator among Republicans, working to break a logjam over agency funding before resources run dry in early May.
The secretary has also begun rolling back controversial policies from his predecessor, including contract bottlenecks and costly detention expansion plans, as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and rebuild trust with lawmakers, CNN reported earlier this month.
Despite criticism from both the right and the left, the administration's core priorities appear unchanged.
As one DHS spokesperson put it, claims that Mullin is "assuaging left-wing concerns" are "further from the truth," the Post reported.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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