Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Wednesday, November 4, that deportations would continue following sweeping Democratic victories in the 2026 midterm elections. His social media statement, “Deportations will continue,” came after Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, having campaigned against President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Some Democrats made abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, a campaign slogan. The party has pledged to use its congressional power to curb the agency, with possible steps including withholding future funding and exercising oversight. Those plans put its immigration agenda at odds with the administration’s stated intention to keep carrying out deportations.
Democratic efforts to restrict ICE are likely to encounter opposition from Republican lawmakers. Legislation could also face a veto from Trump, who said this week that he would become “Mr. Veto” if Democrats regained Congress. Control of both chambers therefore gives Democrats a platform to pursue their proposals, while the prospect of a presidential veto remains an obstacle.
Mullin had already pushed back against demands to abolish ICE and other criticism of its activities before the election. He challenged former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she warned that ICE officers might seek to intimidate people voting at polling places. In responding to her warning, Mullin questioned why Clinton was “still relevant.”
Speaking with Fox News host Will Cain before voting ended Tuesday, Mullin said the question of ICE’s presence at polling locations had also arisen during his confirmation hearing. He said he had made clear then that agents would not be near polling places unless there was a threat.
Among the proposals to change the federal immigration system is legislation introduced last month by Rep. Delia Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat. Her bill, the “Reimagining Safety Act,” would overhaul U.S. immigration agencies and replace the Department of Homeland Security with a department described as “community-centered.”
Ramirez, who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee and has criticized ICE, cited deaths among people detained by ICE and Customs and Border Protection, as well as people deported by the United States, in arguing last month for dismantling DHS and creating a replacement.
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted ahead of the midterms found that 52 percent of likely voters preferred Democrats on immigration, compared with 45 percent who favored Republicans.
