Markwayne Mullin reveals how his DHS approach differs from Kristi Noem

WASHINGTON, DC: Appearing on Fox News for an interview, the newly appointed Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, on Monday, April 6, explained how his management style is different from that of the ousted Secretary Kristi Noem.

As of March 2026, Trump fired Noem after a failed $220M taxpayer-funded ad campaign in which she falsely claimed he had authorized her appearance.

New DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin explains his management style

When 'Special Report' host Bret Baier asked him about how he would be different from Kristi Noem in DHS, Mullin said, "I never worked with Kristi - Secretary Noem - but my management style is I empower individuals."

“I have 22 agencies – we call them components – 22 component leads,” he continued.

Mullin, who mentioned his components when asked about his management style, said that he will empower the agencies to do their job by providing them with tools and assets.

“My job is to empower them to do their jobs. How? I make sure that they have the tools and the assets they need, and the manpower they need, to be able to go out and deliver the mission that Congress and the president has tasked us with.”

Airports in sanctuary cities on Markwayne Mullin's list

Mullin, elaborating on the list of planned works, revealed that he plans to take “a hard look” at international airports in Sanctuary cities.

He suggested that under his leadership of DHS, the Trump administration could take action against airports in Sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities.

He said, “Some of these cities have international airports — if they're a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?”

“Seriously, If they're a sanctuary city, and they're receiving international flights, and we're asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport they're not going to enforce immigration policy, maybe we need to have a really hard look at that because we need to focus on cities that want to work with us," Mullin added.

Are international airports in sanctuary cities to lose customs?

Mullin said, “We have to start prioritising things,” when asked whether he was suggesting that international airports in sanctuary cities might lose their customs. “We're gonna have to start prioritizing things at some point.”

“Right now, remember, the Democrats are wanting to defund Customs and Border Patrol. Well, who processes those individuals when they walk off the plane? And so I'm going to have to be forced to make hard decisions,” Mullin further said as he talked about his plans for international airports in Sanctuary cities.

3 million migrants fled US since Trump’s return

Mullin also claimed that nearly 3 million illegal migrants have left the US since Donald Trump returned to power in 2025. He credited the administration’s no-tolerance policy for illegal migrants.

“The last number that I’ve seen is we’ve deported between — either deported or self-deported … just shy of 3 million,” Mullin told the show host.