Memos & Media Guidance National
Press Release
Reproductive Freedom for All Condemns Senate Confirmation of Markwayne Mullin
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
Reproductive Freedom for All Condemns Senate Confirmation of Markwayne Mullin
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), replacing Kristi Noem—the first cabinet secretary ousted in Trump’s second term.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement in response:
“Mullin’s confirmation changes nothing for the people bearing the brunt of this administration’s cruelty. Under Trump and his allies, DHS has become a tool to intimidate communities and block people from getting the care they need, including pregnant people and families. Mullin has made clear that he will continue this agenda. Anyone who can ‘understand’ violence against one of his own colleagues cannot be trusted at the helm of an agency with a track record of systemic brutality.”
Make no mistake: Mullin’s record makes clear that he is not a change in direction and will waste no time continuing the abuses of power his predecessor escalated as secretary of DHS. Previously, he backed an $8 billion allocation to put an additional 10,000 ICE agents on the streets, calling it a “mandate for law and order.” He was an architect of the very agenda he has now been handed the authority to enforce.
This change in leadership comes as new data underscores the devastating consequences of DHS policies for pregnant people and families. Recent reporting found that patients in Minnesota have postponed abortion appointments, skipped prenatal care, and delayed time-sensitive screenings out of fear of encountering ICE agents—putting their health and lives at risk. Between January 1, 2025, and February 16, 2026, 363 pregnant, postpartum, and nursing immigrants were deported. And as of February 16, 121 people actively being detained by ICE were pregnant, postpartum, or nursing. Mullin’s long anti-abortion record includes opposing a resolution condemning the forced sterilization of immigrant women in custody.
###
For over 55 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.