By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin declared Wednesday that deportations would continue after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. The warning came as Democrats, who campaigned on opposing President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, prepared to use their new congressional majority to restrain Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Midterm Defeat Triggers Democratic Push to Restrain ICE
Many incoming Democratic lawmakers pledged to challenge the administration's mass deportation efforts, with some calling for ICE to be abolished. The House Homeland Security Committee's Democrats posted on X, "@SecMullinDHS clear your calendar," signaling plans for oversight hearings. A New York Times/Siena poll before the election showed 52 percent of voters favored Democrats' approach to immigration versus 45 percent for Republican policies.
Mullin Defends ICE on Election Day
On Election Day, Mullin appeared on Fox News to counter criticism from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had warned on "The View" that ICE officers might intimidate voters at polling stations. Mullin said agents would "absolutely not" be stationed at polls and questioned Clinton's relevance. He added that ICE agents would only appear at polling places if there were a threat.
Legal Challenges and Federal Monitors
State election officials and voting rights groups filed a pre-election lawsuit to block federal agents from polling sites. Ultimately, no ICE officers patrolled the polls, and more than 124 million Americans voted. The Justice Department deployed roughly 1,000 federal election monitors across all 50 states. California Governor Gavin Newsom responded by sending state monitors to oversee the federal observers, describing them as a check against "Trump's goons."
Trump Open to Cooperation, Democrats Seek Oversight
Despite the GOP losses, Trump told Fox News he believed he could work with Democrats on immigration. Democratic leaders appeared less inclined to collaborate, focusing instead on summoning administration officials, including Mullin, for congressional hearings.
