Markwayne Mullin faces conservative backlash over immigration speech

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is facing a conservative backlash after reaffirming his opposition to amnesty in a social media post, with critics arguing the hardline message contradicted comments he made hours earlier during an immigration speech in Oklahoma.

Hours after speaking at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City, Mullin wrote on X: “NO amnesty for illegal aliens. Ever.”

“We are a nation of laws,” he wrote. “If you are illegally present in the United States of America—you will be detained and deported. Period.”

The post did little to quell criticism from some conservatives, who argued it conflicted with remarks Mullin made earlier in the day.

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“Why were you at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting today saying the exact opposite of what you are posting now?” one user wrote on X. “Did you suddenly radically change your mind about America’s immigration policy in the past couple of hours? Or are you a liar?”

Former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino also criticized Mullin’s remarks, writing on X that “Voters asked for mass deportations. Clear demand. High priority. No ambiguity.” He added, “The guy running DHS is making the case for ‘immigration reform.’ We’ve seen this script before.”

In a separate post, Bovino wrote that Mullin had delivered “a masterclass in how to give terrible answers during a single interview” and argued, “Now you know why we’re not getting mass deportations.”

Conservative commentator Robby Starbuck also weighed in, calling Mullin’s remarks “a total betrayal.”

During the event, Mullin argued the U.S. needs immigration reform, distinguished between immigrants pursuing legal status and those who are not, and called for changes to some employment visa programs to address labor shortages.

“We haven’t had actual immigration reform since 1959. There’s a reason. It’s political,” Mullin said. “Do you really need immigration reform? Yes, you do.”

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Mullin also argued the country should modernize some employment visa programs.

“If we’re looking to grow our economy, then we need to look at making more permanent solutions,” he said, adding that “there’s a way to utilize labor where we’re not having the participation rate we need to… and we can plug those holes.”

At the same time, Mullin repeatedly emphasized that immigration laws must be enforced.

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“If you have a criminal background, we’re not making exceptions for you,” he said. “There are zero exceptions.”

Mullin added that immigrants who entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas without pursuing legal status could not expect relief.

“There’s nothing I can do for you,” he said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.