DHS Secretary says California governor candidate Steyer misunderstands ICE

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer of failing to grasp Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as the brand new Democratic front-runner pledges to abolish the company if elected.

Throughout an look on “The Ingraham Angle” Wednesday, Mullin pushed again on Steyer’s feedback that ICE has “legal” tendencies.

“I’m very easy about this; ICE must be abolished,” Steyer stated at a February debate. “You actually can’t reform a company which is completely fallacious and legal from prime to backside.”

Mullin, who took the reins of the Division of Homeland Safety roughly three weeks in the past, stated the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful doesn’t have the ability to abolish the federal immigration company.

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DHS Secretary decried California gubernatorial front-runner Tom Steyer on Wednesday, claiming he “would not perceive” the position of ICE. (Left (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos), Proper (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Every day Information through Getty Photos))

“He would not have the authority to do it, and he is speaking on the left facet of his mouth,” he informed Fox Information host Laura Ingraham. “He would not perceive ICE’s position.”

Latest polling locations Steyer because the front-runner within the race to interchange California Gov. Gavin Newsom. He leads with 21% of possible voters, whereas Republican candidate Steve Hilton trails at 18%.

Steyer has emerged as a sudden Democratic front-runner after varied sexual misconduct allegations pressured Eric Swalwell to drop his gubernatorial marketing campaign and resign from Congress.

Mullin criticized Steyer’s stance on immigration enforcement, arguing that ICE is required to abide by federal regulation.

“ICE merely enforces the nation’s immigration insurance policies and deports people and goes after the criminals that ought to by no means be on this nation to start with,” the DHS chief informed Fox Information.

US President Donald Trump appears on as newly sworn in Secretary of Homeland Safety Markwayne Mullin speaks within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2026.  (Picture by Jim WATSON / AFP through Getty Photos)

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“We’re not doing something exterior the regulation, we’re working nicely inside the regulation, they usually’re doing a job each single day defending, even folks like himself, that wish to decriminalize criminals. It would not make any sense to me.”

Mullin additionally stated Steyer’s fellow California Democrats, who largely maintain anti-ICE stances, have the ability to reform ICE by way of congressional laws.

“[Steyer] says they’re legal from prime to backside? ICE is imposing the legal guidelines that Congress handed. That implies that the Democrats that characterize California within the federal authorities, in the event that they needed to vary ICE’s authority, they might do it,” he added.

In an announcement to Fox Information Digital, Steyer stated President Donald Trump is answerable for turning ICE “legal.”

“I perceive completely nicely the position ICE has performed below this president,” Steyer wrote within the assertion. “Donald Trump has turned ICE right into a legal enterprise, so we are going to deal with them like one. In the event that they break the regulation in California, they are going to be prosecuted — similar to anybody else.”

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers knock on the door of a residence throughout a multi-agency focused enforcement operation in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.  (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg)

Along with defending ICE, the brand new DHS secretary pledged to keep up the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation marketing campaign and communicated a willingness to simply accept the “proper” type of immigrants.

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“We’re not slowing down,” Mullin stated. “We’re going after the illegals, and we might love for them to go away on their very own, and we’ll help them. Now we have packages to assist help you to return to your nation, as a result of if we’ve to undergo the prosecution course of, you may by no means come again on this nation legally ever.”

“We wish authorized immigration, folks that wish to make the nation stronger. We’re a nation of immigrants. We perceive that. However the correct sorts of immigrants.”