Homeland Security Secretary Critiques Federal Judges Appointed by Biden and Obama

<p>Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has differentiated between federal judges he claims the Trump administration can work with and those he describes as "almost impossible" to deal with, specifically mentioning judges appointed by President Joe Biden amid ongoing immigration disputes in federal court.</p><p>"We find judges, for the most part, honestly, that we can work with in almost every area. But you've got some of the judges that were appointed underneath Obama and definitely, if they're appointed by Biden, they are almost impossible to work with," Mullin stated during the RNC Midterm Convention on Thursday.</p><p>Mullin’s remarks come as the Trump administration has encountered challenges with federal judges regarding its immigration policies, including recent decisions related to birthright citizenship and immigrant visa issuance. He provided a broader evaluation of the judges he finds most challenging for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collaborate with, particularly those appointed by Biden and, to a lesser extent, Obama.</p><p>In April, Judge Brian Murphy, appointed by Biden, blocked the Trump administration from terminating temporary protected status for over 5,000 Ethiopians. In September, Judge Deborah Boardman, also appointed by Biden, halted the enforcement of Trump’s executive order from August that aimed to limit birthright citizenship, citing the order's likely unconstitutionality.</p><p>Mullin argued that immigration cases should be straightforward, emphasizing that they fundamentally depend on whether an individual entered the country legally and possesses the necessary documentation.</p><p>He likened the situation to homeownership, questioning whether someone has "the deed of the house you’re living in" and whether they legally own it.</p><p>Mullin also criticized state and local officials in Democratic-led states for restricting cooperation with ICE detainer requests, particularly in cases where DHS claims that detainees are violent criminals, drug dealers, or known terrorists.</p><p>"It makes absolutely zero sense," Mullin remarked.</p><p>Beyond the judiciary, DHS is facing challenges with elected officials in Democratic-led cities and states.</p><p>Mullin expressed concern about Virginia's policies, stating, "Virginia is out of control right now. I mean, when you start looking at the great state of Virginia, who had a great governor in Governor Youngkin ... and now what they have, they canceled their 287(g) programs, they're not allowing any cooperation with ICE or any of DHS's law enforcement push to make sure we get the criminals off our streets."</p><p>Shortly after taking office, Virginia Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger directed state law enforcement agencies to end their existing 287(g) agreements with ICE, which her administration argued placed participating officers under federal supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement.</p><p>Mullin claimed that 50% of recent deaths in Fairfax County were "at the hands of an illegal."</p><p>"I've said this multiple times, every death that happens at the hands of an illegal is 100% preventable. So why the governor of Virginia, why they wouldn't participate with us being DHS and enforcing our nation's laws and getting their criminals off the streets makes no sense," he stated.</p><p>Despite these challenges, Mullin asserted that the Trump administration would not compel blue cities to accept federal assistance, emphasizing that DHS would remain available to support communities that request help.</p><p>"What we’re not gonna do is force our way in. You’re gonna have to decide that," Mullin said, leaving the decision to individual communities.</p><p>In Danbury, Connecticut, the City Council amended its police hiring ordinance to permit lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply for police officer positions.</p><p>"I don't understand how you can be in law enforcement and yet you have no legal status. I just don't know what, in some of these very liberal towns and liberal states, what are they thinking," Mullin commented.</p><p>"They're prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens. We are a nation of laws, and either we respect them or we don't," he added. "What separates us from a third world country is we don't believe in lawlessness and when you came in this country illegally, you chose to skip the line because we have a legal process."</p>