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Markwayne Mullin
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Markwayne Mullin

US Secretary of Homeland Security since March 2026; former Republican senator for Oklahoma.

Markwayne Mullin's claim of 17 July 2026 that 250,000 non-citizens sit on US voter rolls is now in court: two watchdogs sued his department on 29 and 30 September for the records behind it, none of which have been released.

Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Can Mullin's department protect 48 teams including one it won't let in?

Timeline for Markwayne Mullin

#19 30 Sept

Made the 17 July claim of 250,000 non-citizen registrants

US Midterms 2026: Watchdog sues DHS over Mullin's 250,000
#14 5 Jun

called the World Cup threat level extremely high and oversaw a $1.47bn federal security deployment

2026 FIFA World Cup: FEMA deploys $1.47bn on World Cup
View full timeline →
Follow 2026 FIFA World Cup →Follow US Midterms 2026 →

Background

Mullin has led the Department of Homeland Security since March 2026, when the Senate confirmed him to succeed Kristi Noem. A Republican, he represented Oklahoma's 2nd District in The House from 2013 to 2023 and then sat in the Senate until his move to the cabinet. Before politics he ran his family's plumbing business, and he is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

His most contested public claim concerns voters. On 17 July he said 250,000 non-citizens were registered, naming California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sued for the underlying records on 29 September and American Oversight on 30 September; the latter says the figure rested on commercial databases.

His department also ran federal security for the 2026 World Cup. In June he rated the threat to the tournament 'extremely high', with more than 400 agencies coordinating and counter-drone funding sent to host states.

Common Questions
Who is Markwayne Mullin and what is his role at the 2026 World Cup?
Mullin is the US Secretary of Homeland Security. He oversaw the $1.47bn federal security deployment for the 2026 World Cup and rated the tournament's threat level 'extremely high'.Source: event
Why is the 2026 World Cup threat level 'extremely high'?
Homeland Security Secretary Mullin cited the scale and profile of the tournament. US intelligence flagged possible Iranian cyberattacks and the FBI named homegrown extremists striking soft targets as the leading concern.Source: event
How much is the US spending on World Cup security?
FEMA deployed $1.47bn: $625m to 11 host cities and $846m to nine states, with over $221m earmarked for counter-drone C-UAS systems.Source: event
What did Markwayne Mullin claim about non-citizens on voter rolls?
On 17 July 2026 he claimed 250,000 non-citizens were on US voter rolls. American Oversight sued DHS on 30 September for the records behind the figure, and CREW filed a similar suit on 29 September.Source: American Oversight
When did Markwayne Mullin become Homeland Security Secretary?
The Senate confirmed him on 24 March 2026 by 54 votes to 45. He succeeded Kristi Noem as the ninth secretary.Source: Department of Homeland Security
Is Markwayne Mullin still a senator?
No. He left the Senate in March 2026 to become Secretary of Homeland Security. He had represented Oklahoma in the Senate from 2023 and in The House from 2013 to 2023.Source: Department of Homeland Security; US Congress terms of service
Source Material
US Department of Homeland Security — official site