Markwayne Mullin Attempts Damage Control After Reports He Went Around President Trump to Suspend ICE Traffic Stops Spark Outrage: “President Trump and I Are on the Same Page” * The Gateway Pundit * by Jim Hᴏft

www.thegatewaypundit.com
President Donald Trump participates in the swearing-in ceremony for former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin as he is sworn in as secretary of homeland security by Pam Bondi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 24, 2026. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)

DHS Secretary scrambles with damage-control statements after backlash over capitulation to radical left and corporate media pressure following ICE-involved shootings in Maine and Texas.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, President Donald Trump erupted after learning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been ordered to stop conducting vehicle stops involving illegal aliens following two recent ICE-involved shootings in Maine and Texas.

According to multiple reports, the directive originated with Mullin and was issued without first briefing the President.

According to far-left CNN, “Neither Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin nor Homan alerted Trump to the pause on traffic stops before imposing it, according to two people familiar with the chain of events.”

President Trump is furious over his administration’s decision to capitulate to the radical left and corporate media on deportations.

In a Truth Social post, Trump laid down the law: giving up traffic stops is playing right into the hands of criminal illegal aliens, and it will not stand on his watch.

Trump wrote:

“The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done. CRIME IS WAY DOWN IN AMERICA, in many cases with numbers that haven’t been seen in decades. The Open Border Policy of Sleepy Joe Biden allowed 25,000,000 people to pour into our Country, unchecked and unvetted. Many were Criminals, and we have to get them out.

In order to do this, we must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective crime-fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!

Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands. The Radical Left Dumocrats would like to see this done, but it won’t happen on my watch. I.C.E., be judicious, fair, and smart, and go back and do your very important job.

Keep those Crime Stat Records coming! Remember, you are loved and respected in America.”

The White House later confirmed that Trump had officially overturned the suspension and reinstated ICE traffic stops.

Facing mounting criticism, Mullin quickly attempted to reassure Trump supporters by quoting the President’s Truth Social message on X before issuing his own statement.

Our #1 goal is to keep our officers safe and get criminals OFF our streets. Illegal aliens will be arrested and deported wherever they are. If you are here illegally, LEAVE NOW. As our officers carry out operations to enforce our nations laws, they are facing a more than 1,300% increase in vehicle attacks.

We remind illegal aliens attempting to evade arrest is dangerous. This reckless illegal alien activity comes after sanctuary politicians held webinars and shared resources for how to openly defy @ICEgov:

▪️Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a webinar providing tips for illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public.

▪️Dan Goldman posted a video online calling on illegal aliens to make a plan for ICE encounters.

▪️Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued multilingual flyers and online resources advising illegal aliens on how to evade arrest.

▪️California Governor Gavin Newsom released guides and sanctuary laws advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest.

In a second post, Mullin sought to dispel any suggestion that he was at odds with President Trump.

“President Trump and I are on the same page. We want our ICE officers to have all options available to keep them safe while executing our mission of deporting as many illegal alien criminals from our country as possible.”

The statement comes after a wave of criticism from many within the MAGA movement, who accused Mullin of undermining President Trump’s immigration agenda by suspending one of ICE’s most effective enforcement tactics.

Below are some of the comments:

Photo of author Jim Hᴏft Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.

You can email Jim Hᴏft here, and read more of Jim Hᴏft's articles here.

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