DHS chief rules out amnesty while signaling open door to bipartisan talks
Markwayne Mullin states that a path for DACA recipients remains in Congress, even as he rejects a blanket forgiveness for undocumented residents.
By Alexei Brooks ·
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin ruled out a general amnesty for people in the United States with undefined immigration status on Monday. He stated that while he is open to working with Democrats, any agreement will not include a mass pardon for those currently in the country.
Mullin made the comments while speaking to reporters near Washington, D.C., following a conference on drone technology. He described amnesty as a line in the sand for Republicans. "We are never going to allow an amnesty to happen. So that ends the discussion," Mullin said.
The statement comes in the wake of the mid-term elections, which highlighted voter frustration with aggressive deportation policies. President Donald Trump suggested in a Sunday interview with 60 Minutes that his administration's approach to deportations may have been too forceful for voters. Since then, the president has indicated a willingness to collaborate with Democrats on immigration issues.
Mullin, who served as a senator and representative before joining the cabinet early this year, noted that he has received calls from former congressional colleagues. He told the president these conversations are happening. "The president has said let's start working with them and then we'll meet at some point. So that is the extent of the conversation," Mullin explained. He added that no discussions have yet focused solely on policy specifics.
Tensions remain over the appointment of Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff following the elections. Miller, a key architect of the administration's immigration strategy, has raised questions about how close the working relationship with Democrats will be. Mullin called Miller's promotion an excellent choice on social media, praising both Miller and former chief of staff Susie Wiles for their work ethic.
Mullin argued that a bipartisan approach is the only way to achieve real immigration reform. He pointed to his own history of working with Democrats on such issues in Congress. However, he drew a clear distinction between reform and amnesty, asserting that the latter will not be a solution.
The secretary also addressed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. He said that any legal path for these individuals, such as becoming permanent residents, will be determined by Congress. "If we want immigration reform where we can look at DACA and find a way for these people to maybe become legal permanent residents or something like that, that's going to be up to Congress," Mullin said.
