Chuck Schumer says Democrats will still block DHS despite Trump replacing Noem: ‘The rot is deep’

WASHINGTON, DC: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday, March 5, made it clear that replacing the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will not end the standoff between Democrats and the Trump administration.

Even though President Trump has picked Senator Markwayne Mullin to take over the agency, Schumer said Democrats will not move forward on DHS negotiations or confirm new leadership until major policy changes are made.

Schumer argues changing DHS leadership won’t fix agency

Schumer did not hold back his feelings after Kristi Noem stepped down as DHS Secretary, telling reporters, "The president there has fired Kristi Noem, good riddance, but the problems at this agency, ICE, transcend any one person."

He argued that the issues within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are so bad that simply changing the boss won’t fix anything. Schumer repeated several times that the agency suffers from systemic "rot" that can only be fixed if the President changes how the entire department operates.

"The rot is deep. The president has to end the violence and reign in ICE," Schumer said.

Schumer accuses administration of stonewalling over critical policy issues

Schumer also accused the administration of "stonewalling" Democrats on the most important issues and insisted that the only way forward is through new laws, not just new faces in the cabinet.

"They've been stonewalling us on the most important issues, and those have to change, and they have to change them," Schumer explained. 

He expressed a deep lack of trust in the administration's handling of the agency, stating, "I don't trust any one person being in charge of this agency as long as Trump is president. Given the policies he's espoused, given how ICE has been structured. The rot is deep."

Schumer refuses to commit to Mullin confirmation

When asked if this meant Democrats would block any person Trump nominated for the job, Schumer stayed focused on his demand for a total overhaul of ICE.

He refused to say if Mullin would be confirmed, instead pointing back to the need for a complete shift in how the government handles immigration enforcement.

"As I said, he's got to change the whole policies in ICE," Schumer told reporters. "It transcends, it's not a personnel issue, so I wouldn't focus on that."

Schumer's comments come after President Trump announced on Thursday that Noem will step down as Secretary of DHS at the end of March after serving just over a year in the role.