Native nations across Oklahoma and Indian Country are watching Sen. **Markwayne Mullin’s** elevation to lead the **Department of Homeland Security (DHS)** with a mix of pride, caution and hard‑edged pragmatism.
President Donald Trump announced this week that Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma and one of his closest congressional allies, is his pick to replace ousted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.[2][3] If confirmed, Mullin would step into the post on March 31, inheriting a department that has become the flashpoint for Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown and a symbol of federal power in Native communities along the southern border.[1][2][5]
For many Native people, the appointment is personal. Mullin is a citizen of the **Cherokee Nation** and has frequently highlighted his heritage on the campaign trail and in office. He serves on the **Senate Committee on Indian Affairs** and has often framed himself as a bridge between tribal nations and federal power centers.[2] That profile is now colliding with the reality of running an agency that Native communities know primarily through border walls, checkpoints, missing and murdered Indigenous people cases, and disaster response.
Below are some of the key themes emerging in Native reactions.
—
### Pride in representation — with strings attached
Some Native leaders and citizens say having a Native cabinet‑level official over a major domestic security agency is undeniably historic. Mullin’s rise follows a broader wave of Native representation in federal offices, including at Interior and in Congress. For Cherokee citizens in Oklahoma, there is particular pride that a tribal citizen from their state has reached one of the most powerful domestic posts in the government.
Supporters point to Mullin’s long‑standing relationships on Capitol Hill and his committee assignments — including **Appropriations**, **Armed Services**, **Indian Affairs**, and **Health, Education, Labor and Pensions** — as evidence that he understands how federal agencies intersect with tribal governments and funding streams.[2] They argue that having someone who at least knows the language of treaty rights, trust responsibility and tribal sovereignty at the top of DHS could help shift long‑standing tensions with tribes on the border and in port security.
At the same time, even some who welcome the symbolism stress that representation alone is not enough. They want to see concrete commitments from Mullin on consultation, data‑sharing, and respect for tribal jurisdiction, especially in law‑enforcement matters.
—
### Sharp concern over immigration and enforcement
The most immediate anxiety in Indian Country is about **immigration enforcement**. DHS under Noem became the face of a “broad and controversial crackdown” on migrants, with policies cheered by Trump allies and condemned by immigrant‑rights and civil‑liberties groups.[2][5] That crackdown has played out directly on and near Native lands, particularly along the U.S.–Mexico border where Tohono O’odham and other tribal nations have seen border walls cut across their traditional territories.
Native advocates note that Mullin has been a **reliable defender of Trump’s immigration tactics** in Congress, backing the administration’s enforcement‑heavy approach and using law‑and‑order rhetoric that aligns closely with Trump’s own.[2] Trump promised that Mullin will “keep our Border Secure, stop migrant crime … and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” signaling the White House expects continuity, not moderation, in DHS posture.[2][3]
For Native communities already squeezed between militarized borders and federal neglect, that is a warning sign. Tribal leaders and grassroots organizers are calling on Mullin to:
– End or scale back policies that treat traditional tribal crossings as criminal acts.
– Involve tribal governments early in any new wall, surveillance or checkpoint expansions.
– Ensure DHS components respect tribal IDs, jurisdiction and civil rights in enforcement operations.
Without visible shifts, many Native advocates fear Mullin could become the Native face of policies that disproportionately harm Indigenous migrants and border communities.
—
### Trust, law enforcement and civil rights
DHS is not just about the border. For Native nations, it is also the umbrella for agencies that touch **tribal policing, emergency management, cybersecurity and domestic intelligence**. Those authorities have grown more controversial after widely publicized incidents of federal force and surveillance.
Noem’s tenure ended under intense scrutiny after DHS agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, an episode that intensified broader debate over use of force and accountability.[1][5] While that case did not center on Native victims, it reinforced long‑standing Native concerns about how federal officers behave in and around their communities.
Some Native civil‑rights advocates argue that Mullin, as a tribal citizen and former small‑business owner from rural Oklahoma, is uniquely positioned to push DHS toward more community‑based, accountable policing models. Others are skeptical, pointing to his alignment with Trump’s security‑first framing and his vocal support for aggressive federal law‑enforcement powers.[2]
What many are watching for in his confirmation process:
– Whether he acknowledges the department’s role in over‑policing communities of color, including Native people.
– Whether he commits to transparent investigations and public reporting on use‑of‑force incidents.
– How he talks about domestic extremism and whether he recognizes the threat of violence aimed at Native communities and land‑defense movements.
—
### Tribal consultation and sovereignty tests ahead
Beyond enforcement, Mullin will oversee DHS relationships with tribal governments on **disaster response, infrastructure security, and critical‑infrastructure siting**. Tribes routinely work with FEMA and other DHS components during floods, fires and storms — and often complain they are treated as afterthoughts rather than sovereign partners.
Mullin’s defenders in Oklahoma, including Gov. Kevin Stitt, highlight his record as a “fighter for Oklahoma” and praise his approach to “smart immigration enforcement.”[4] But Stitt’s own history of conflict with tribal governments over jurisdiction and compacts has many Native observers wary of claims that Oklahoma’s model should be exported nationwide.
Key benchmarks tribes are outlining for Mullin’s first year include:
– A clear, public directive strengthening **tribal consultation** requirements for all DHS components.
– Dedicated tribal liaisons with real authority inside DHS operational agencies.
– Faster, culturally informed disaster‑response protocols for reservation and trust lands.
If Mullin can deliver structural changes that outlast his tenure, some Native leaders say his appointment could become more than symbolic. If not, they fear DHS will continue to treat tribes as stakeholders to be informed rather than sovereigns to be consulted.
—
### A Native DHS secretary in the Trump era
Mullin faces an unusually charged confirmation environment. Trump allies in the Senate are pushing to move his nomination quickly, and Republicans likely have the votes to confirm him if they stay united.[1] Some Democrats, including party leaders, are vowing to oppose any DHS nominee unless the administration backs away from its most hard‑line immigration policies.[1][2] Others have left the door open if Mullin shows he is willing to change course.[1][2]
For Native people, the politics on Capitol Hill matter less than what happens on the ground. They have seen Native appointees in federal agencies before. Some left lasting progress; others presided over policies that deepened harms to Indigenous communities.
That history shapes the cautious, sometimes conflicted reactions to Mullin’s rise. Many Native citizens in Oklahoma and beyond are prepared to give a Cherokee secretary of Homeland Security a hearing — but not a blank check. In the months ahead, they will measure him not by his rhetoric about heritage or friendship with the president, but by whether DHS under his leadership respects tribal sovereignty, protects Native rights, and treats Indigenous communities as partners rather than problems to be managed.
Original source: NPR News – Native Americans react to Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s DHS appointment
Leave a Reply