▶ 0:10:22Committee on Homeland Security will come to order. Without objection, the chairman declare committee at recess at any point. Purpose of today's hearing is to review the Department of Homeland Security's budget request for fiscal year 2027. Before we get started, I would like to remind the members and the public of the rules of decorum. The issues we are debating are important ones that members feel deeply about. While vigorous disagreement is part of legislative process, members are reminded that we must adhere to the established standards of decorum in debate.
▶ 0:10:48The chair will enforce these rules of decorum at all times and urge all members to be mindful of their remarks. Further, under the rules of the house, the chairman is responsible for maintaining order and preserving decorum in the committee room. I expect audience members to be respectful of the witnesses, members, and the public. If members of the audience are persistently or overly disruptive, it is a violation of federal law and you'll be subject to removal and arrest. I now recognize my state myself for an opening statement. Good morning.
▶ 0:11:17Thank you, Secretary Mullen and Deputy Secretary Edgar for appearing before the committee today. Secretary Mullen, I'd first like to congratulate you on your confirmation. We appreciate you being here for your first hearing before the House since being sworn in. We look forward to building a strong working relationship as we continue our shared mission of keeping the American people safe. Today's hearing allows members to evaluate the Department of Homeland Security's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027.
▶ 0:11:43I encourage my colleagues to use this opportunity to ask insightful and productive questions that will help achieve our shared goals. DHS has a no fail mission, protecting the American people and safeguarding our homeland. That's why it's so concerning the department has been forced to operate through 119 days of government shutdowns over the last year, especially at a time when the threats facing our country are becoming more complex and constantly evolving.
▶ 0:12:09The department was created in the wake of September 11th terrorist attacks with a clear mission to protect the American people and safeguard our homeland. Nearly 25 years later, that mission remains as critical as ever. That's why Congress and DHS must work together to ensure the men and women responsible for keeping our country safe have the resources, support, and tools they need to meet the threats of today and tomorrow.
▶ 0:12:33As we approach two historic milestones for our nation, the 25th anniversary of September 11th and the 250th anniversary of American independence, DHS should be entering this period with certainty and stability. Instead, vital agencies within the department remain unfunded to this day. Repeated partisan shutdowns have weakened our national security posture and have delayed important work in preparation for hosting the World Cup and securing America 250 celebrations across the country in the coming weeks.
▶ 0:13:01While congressional Republicans continue working to fund the remainder of DHS, I appreciate that today we will focus on the department's plan for the coming Congress must get back to regular order through the annual appropriations process. Refusing to fund specific agencies causes instability that we cannot afford, and I would encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to re-engage with those efforts going forward. The threat facing our country today are more complex and dynamic than ever before.
▶ 0:13:27From violent extremism to the growing use of artificial intelligence by our adversaries, the challenge of protecting our homeland continues to evolve. This committee has a responsibility to ensure DHS can keep pace with these threats and has the tools it needs to safeguard the American people. Over the last year, the committee has engaged regularly with the department and the private sector to identify areas where national security can be strengthened and where the process for doing so can be more efficient.
▶ 0:13:52To that end, the committee has focused on the advancement of US cyber resilience in an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape. Reauthorizing and expanding vital counter UAS authorities for state and local enforcement ahead of upcoming major events. Solidifying the border security successes of the Trump administration over the last 18 months. modernizing TSA screening technology and creating a more efficient, hassle-free traveler experience.
▶ 0:14:17Reforming the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis to make sure threat intelligence is promptly shared with relevant entities. And exercising the committee's oversight function to hear directly from DHS components on their efforts to accomplish and implement these goals and to understand where Congress can provide greater support to ensure successful Delivering on these objectives is no small task, but I am encouraged by the progress we have made and will continue to make in the coming months.
▶ 0:14:44As Secretary Mullen knows well, the world will be watching this summer as we host 2026 FIFA World Cup and celebrate America's 250th birthday. These events are unique opportunities to showcase the best of America. They will require unprecedented collaboration between leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to secure these events and keep the public safe. DHS plays a leading role in that in that effort.
▶ 0:15:09While it's impossible to know every challenge that lies ahead, what we know for sure is that DHS must have the support, resources, personnel, and authorities needed to carry out its mission. Today's hearing will serve as the first of what I can expect to be many more discussions on how we can maintain positive momentum for the next fiscal year. And I appreciate Secretary Mullen and Deputy Secretary Edgar for joining us to discuss this budget request. I look forward to hearing Secretary Mullen's testimony.
▶ 0:15:35And with that, I yield to the ranking member for his opening Thank you very much. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding the committee's annual hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's budget. Secretary Mullen and Deputy Secretary Edgar, welcome to the committee and on Homeland Security. Today's hearing comes at a critical time for our country.
▶ 0:16:01was challenges at home and abroad creating or made worse by the Trump administration. President Trump campaigned on $2 a gallon gas, ending inflation and lowering the cost of living. Instead, he started a reckless war with Iran that has driven gas prices skyhigh and imposed tariffs that sent inflation soaring. Everything is more expensive. Americans are paying higher prices.
▶ 0:16:30Families are struggling to put food on the table and working harder than ever to make the rent and pay their bills. Now, Trump wants the same people who are barely getting by to pick up the tab for his billion dollar White House ballroom, a ballroom he originally told us would be paid for by private donations.
▶ 0:16:52He also wants taxpayers to pay for a slush fund to make millionaires out of the rioters who attacked the capital and beat cops on January 6. The only people doing better in Trump's economy are his billionaire buddies who get sweetheart deals like the rest of the country is paying more at every turn. Just like the nation, the Department of Homeland Security is at a critical juncture.
▶ 0:17:19Nearly 25 years ago, DHS was created to protect our nation against 911 style attack. Since then, administrations of both parties have worked to strengthen the department for that critical mission while protecting our constitutional rights. That is until President Trump took office. The Trump administration has weaponized DHS against the public and used it to line the pockets of the president's cronies.
▶ 0:17:49It was clo it has closed essential offices meant to keep us safe and protect our civil rights and fired or forced out thousands of DHS employees with irreplaceable experience. He has politicized disaster aid, approving declarations for those communities he personally favors and denying aid for those he does not.
▶ 0:18:16He has turned our country's immigration system into something out of a dystopian movie where federal agents shoot and kill Americans, peaceful protesters are gassed and beaten, and racism and xenophobia drives the policy. In short, the Trump administration has betrayed our democratic principles and undermined the security goals DHS was established for.
▶ 0:18:42Last year when then Secretary Christy Gnome came before the committee, I called on her to resign unless the president removed her first. She ended up cutting and running before that hearing ended, leaving under false pretense before she answered members questions. We all know how Secretary Gnome's time at DSHS turned out.
▶ 0:19:06I'm only sorry her departure took as long as it did because the damage the Trump administration did to the department while she was secretary will take years to undo. Gnome wasted millions of taxpayers dollars on vanity projects and private jets and used her position to enrich herself and her friends.
▶ 0:19:29Her disastrous tenure was marked by more than just endless grifting and shameless The human cost was very real. Two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Prey, were shot dead on her watch.
▶ 0:19:46A recent report by the Brookings Institution found that 147,000 US citizen children were separated from a parent under Trump's mass deportation agenda, including tens of thousands of children under six years old.
▶ 0:20:04Unfortunately, Secretary Gnome was the latest in a long line of failed secretaries of Homeland Security and others running DHS under President Kirsten Nielsen put kids in cages. Kevin Melane and Chad Wolf served unlawfully and carried out more of the same immoral, inhumane, and illegal policies.
▶ 0:20:31Christian and the other disgraced former secretaries may be gone, but the Trump administration's weaponization of the department has continued. I'm concerned that you are already following in your predecessor's footsteps, Secretary Mullen. Since you were sworn in just over two months ago, detainees at Delaney Hall detention facility have been living in squalid conditions and have been beaten and pepper sprayed by guards.
▶ 0:21:01Rather than addressing these problems and forcing the contractor that runs the facility do it to do its job, DHS responded by attacking protesters and defending inhumane conditions. Enough is enough. Delaney Hall should be closed. Delaney Hall is just the latest example of immigration and custom enforcement and customs border protection being out of control under Trump.
▶ 0:21:31A record number of people are dying in Trump's detention centers around the country at a rate roughly one person every six days. Tragically, that number is rising due to inhumane conditions, neglect, and abuse in these facilities.
▶ 0:21:48And yet, the president wants Congress to give ICE and CBP a 72 billion dollar slush fund in reconciliation after they just got billions in so-called one big beautiful bill act. These are the very same agencies that killed two Americans in cold blood. took parents from young American citizens out of defending holding detainees in squalor at Delaney Hall.
▶ 0:22:17ICE and CBP should not get one penny more of taxpayers dollars until they are held accountable. And Mr. Chairman, while we on the topic, why isn't this committee doing its job? The Senate is at an impass, but that doesn't mean the House can't craft a bill that responsibly funds DHS while putting guard rails around its rogue agencies. Our hands are not tired.
▶ 0:22:47House Republican leadership is just too lazy or too scared. Don't tell me otherwise. Previously, when the Senate started the reconciliation process, the House still did its job and marked up its own bill before making compromises with the Senate product. There's no reason we cannot do the same this year. Beyond the reconciliation issue, Mr.
▶ 0:23:12Secretary, I'm also very concerned that you seem determined to crash the US economy by pulling CBP processing from airports in so-called sanctuary cities. The travel industry has sounded the alarm about your plan, warning of unnecessary chaos throughout the nation's air transportation system and devastating consequences to airports, airlines, and the traveling public.
▶ 0:23:41Americans are suffering enough in Trump's economy. They quite literally cannot afford another hairbrain Republican scheme. I know we will be discussing this issue further today among several others. Mr. Secretary, as I said at the outset, we're glad you're here because we have many questions for you. We expect that unlike your predecessor that you will stay and answer them.
▶ 0:24:07Secretaries of Homeland Security under President Trump have set a very low bar. Some might even say so low it might set in hell. I wish I was more encouraged by your early actions as Secretary that you'll clear that low bar. Secretary Mullen, the situation at DHS is critical and the American people deserve better. As a principal oversight committee for the department, we will demand just that. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 0:24:38Chairman, and I yield back. [clears throat]
▶ 0:24:40Other members of the committee are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record. I'm pleased to have a highly distinguished panel of witnesses before us today to ky pursuant to committee rule 8C. I ask that the witnesses please rise and raise their right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the Committee on Homeland Security of the United States House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So, help you God.
▶ 0:25:09Let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. Thank you. I would now like to formally introduce our witnesses. First is Mr. Mark Wayne Mullen. He is the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Mullen previously represented the people of Oklahoma for 13 years in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Second is Mr. Troy Edgar. He is the deputy secretary of homeland security. Previously, Deputy Secretary Edgar served as the department's chief financial officer during President Trump's first term.
▶ 0:25:38Thank you both for being here today. I now recognize Secretary Mullen for five minutes to summarize his opening statement.
▶ 0:25:46Thank you, Mr. chairman and uh thank you for this opportunity to be in front of you. Uh I sometimes wish that the members had to get sworn in too so what they said would be true and factual as well because what the ranking member just said about um in his opening statement I feel like I have to address because I'm just not sure I'll have the opportunity to do that. So first of all I do thank you uh chairman for allowing me to be here today. Ranking member, thank you and thank you for allowing the under secretary Tory Edgar to be here with me.
▶ 0:26:15Um, I do have an opening statement. I'll I'll send it for the record, but too often when we see opening statements, it's it's about making a statement. Um, and I I I I you know, the false the false statements that were made, I I feel like I just have to address. I mean, when you start talking about the reckless war in Iran, what's reckless is a nuclear Iran. For 49 years, they've been threatening to to a death to America. For 49 years, they've been attacking America.
▶ 0:26:45And for 49 years, not one single president was willing to stand up and tell President Trump. And thank God he did because we know their behavior. We know what they would do with their nuclear weapon. They would completely destabilize the world, completely destabilize that region. And finally, President Trump is a president that's willing to do something about every single president um since Jimmy Carter has looked at Iran understanding they were a threat.
▶ 0:27:11Every single president since Jimmy Carter has had a plan to do to deal with Iran and not one of them acted on it, but President Trump did. You start talking about peaceful protesters and racism. Racism is a reckless term that is thrown around way too often. It's just it it it's thrown around like it it is true. And yet you can't point to something that is actually racism. It's just a term when you lack the words to actually describe your hatred towards President Trump.
▶ 0:27:39So you just use racism and and what's bad is you feed in to what's causing our ICE agents that's simply enforcing the law that Congress They're not going outside the law. They're enforcing the law that Congress passed. We don't pick and choose which law we decide to enforce. We enforce the law. And because they're doing so is racism. But yet their death threats are up by 8,000%.
▶ 0:28:06vehicle uh uh damage is up 3,300% assaults up 1300%. And what's that due from peaceful protest? I have nothing wrong. I have no problem with people peacefully protesting. I believe in a first amendment peacefully. Delaney Hall, I've had officers bit, hit, scratched. We had one get threatened they were going to kill him and his family. That's damaging vehicles and pro and property. That's peaceful.
▶ 0:28:36It's interesting when the governor finally put state police there. How often you guys quit saying that it was being agitated by ICE, but yet the same behavior was happening with the state police until they pushed them back far enough where they're out a camera shot and all a sudden the left media quit covering it. That didn't look like peaceful protest to me. I'm okay with protest in a peaceful manner. You're talking about Trump's reckless behavior. What's reckless is shutting down CBP and ICE.
▶ 0:29:08CBP, Custom and Border Protection. You want to open borders? Because Ranking Thompson, I'm pretty sure you already said you're willing to shut them down again September 30th, even if we reopen them. That's law enforcement. Just say, "I want to defund police. I want open borders. And I want illegals running wild in our streets because ICE every day is taking the worst of the worst off the streets. are taking those that enter this country illegally off the streets, which is exactly what they were designed to do.
▶ 0:29:34And CBP is protecting our ports and our port of entries and our borders. And yet we want to target them and defund them. That's reckless. You're talking about President Trump's ill behavior towards children.
▶ 0:29:53Yet, we have found over 120,000 kids that were missing underneath the Trump administration when they lost touch of but we fear most are now in trafficking I didn't hear anybody complaining about that. What we've done under the Trump administration is we went and rescued these kids. What is inhumane about that? Nothing. He's doing the job that Biden administration turned a blind eye to.
▶ 0:30:24That shouldn't ever take place. If anything we can agree on, our kids should be watched over. Now, I do look forward to answering all the rest of the questions because I'm running out of time and I won't have time to go through all the ridiculous accusations you made towards the Trump administration, but I do feel a privilege sitting here in front of you. I feel a privilege of being secretary of our homeland and watching over the 275,000 employees that every day protect my yard and your yard regardless if it's blue or red.
▶ 0:30:54We're here to protect the homeland and that's all we want to do. Thank you so much.
▶ 0:30:58Thank you, Secretary Mullen. [clears throat] Members will be recognized by order of seniority for their five minutes of questions. As I've done in the past, I will be strictly enforcing the fiveminut rule. When that clock runs out, so does your time to keep talking. I now recognize myself for five minutes of questions.
▶ 0:31:18Secretary Mullen, FEMA's fiscal year 2025 preparedness grant cycle under your predecessor was impacted by delays in the release of notice of funding opportunities which left applicants with a condensed timeline to apply for these awards. for the more last minute changes to the allocations of funding for the Homeland Security Grant program programs resulted in litigation that held up funds well beyond the end of the fiscal year.
▶ 0:31:43Understanding that the enactment of FY26 appropriations was significantly delayed by the 76day shutdown, how are you now working to ensure that FEMA's 26 preparedness grant cycle runs more smoothly and transparently than the 25 cycle?
▶ 0:31:58Thank you, chairman. And it is a challenge that we have because of uh the shutdown for 76 days put us way behind on theUS that we had with local and state partnerships. Um fortunately the local and state partnerships just along along with ICE DHS and other DHS uh officials was still willing to go out and do their job for free. Uh and so we haven't dropped the mission but it has made it more difficult. We're up against a timeline. We're 10 days uh roughly.
▶ 0:32:27I think we're 11 actually, but we're 10 days uh from the first kickoff, 11 days from the first game in in LA on June 12th. And we have we have a lot of work to do. Um but our grants are out. We're getting the uh local law enforcement back pay uh because they didn't get the grants on equipment, on personnel, on overtime. We feel like we're in a good spot, but it definitely um it definitely put us at risk.
▶ 0:32:54But I will tell you, I feel very comfortable where we're at and we feel like we have a zero fail mission, but it's going to be complicated. We have seven uh five to seven million visitors coming in. Uh we have some very complicated countries that are going to be playing each other that have a tremendous amount of dislike against each other. Uh we have open um uh uh areas to where we have the the fans be able to experience the game without getting inside.
▶ 0:33:18We have 78 Super Bowls and 38 days and it's and we get to highlight our country and I'm looking forward to it. And I will tell you even in sanctuary cities where we have some of these games, we've had great cooperation with local and state officials and I hope when FIFA is over we can show that we can work together and continue to keep our cities and our safe our seats streets safe.
▶ 0:33:44Thank you very much. I actually visited one of the uh FIFA sites last week. Uh the part they did talk about the partnership and the money that's coming in. It will be helpful both for uh protecting those sites as well as the FanFest. Um but you know, moving forward, the UASI grants and others that uh local police rely on like NYPD uh in New York, FDNY, um making sure that those continue to run smoothly so that money that money goes directly to law enforcement and and they need it.
▶ 0:34:10So making sure that uh those keep fun those keep rolling smoothly is is very important. I want to move over uh to SISA. Over the last 18 months it has seen a significant reduction in its total headcount including through a combination of voluntary departures, reductions in force and reassignments of cyber security personnel.
▶ 0:34:28One of my top priorities since being on this committee is ensuring that CISA can effectively execute on its core mission to protect federal civilian networks and our nation's critical infrastructure, especially as our cyber adversaries are increasingly utilizing tools like AI to enhance their capabilities. I'm concerned that some of the proposals in the budget request, including cuts to CIS personnel and cyber security education programs, which help sustain a pipeline of skilled cyber cyber security professionals in the US, could negatively affect those efforts.
▶ 0:34:56As secretary, can you talk about your vision for SISA and how this budget would support the AY's critical functions uh during a a time of rapid development emerging AI threats and Deputy Secretary Agri, if whoever wants to jump in on that, that's fine.
▶ 0:35:11So, CISA technically has the the ability to hire up to 3,400 people. We have very broad authorities. Um during the shutdown, our fourth shutdown of the year, uh we had to readjust the way we're looking at SISA and better lean on public partnerships. We have uh a very unique authority that we take care of from international cyber all the way down uh to local um small businesses, large businesses, municipalities, and states.
▶ 0:35:41But we also take care of the communications at every major sporting event as well, including FIFA. When we looked at that, we think, do we really need 3,400 individuals? Um, well, we're down to 22. We probably need somewhere around 28 if we can actually have the partnerships we need with states and be able to use the grants, the monies that saved with CISA to be able to invest with local uh and state municipalities.
▶ 0:36:06And uh and I think I think we we can we're not going to uh fail on the mission that we have in front of us. and uh and cyber attacks are only getting stronger.
▶ 0:36:16And they're attacking our our private partnership the most.
▶ 0:36:19Thank you, Mr. Secretary. My time has expired. I appreciate that. And I now recognize the gentleman u from Mississippi, the ranking member, Mr. Thompson, for five minutes questions.
▶ 0:36:28Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Uh Mr. Chairman, uh Mr. Secretary, while Americans struggle to pay gas for gas and groceries, President Trump and his allies are constantly enriching themselves off taxpayer funded contracts.
▶ 0:36:43Under then Secretary Christy Nome, DHS authorized contracts totaling billions of dollars for luxury jets, self-promotional ads featuring horses, recruiting campaigns seeking white nationalists, vehicles wrapped in ICE logo that currently sit idle, massive industrial warehouses to detain human As all of those contracts went to companies
▶ 0:37:14with ties to former Secretary Christy Nomes, her special government Corey Lewendowski, President Trump, and Republican donors. In March, the White House confirmed that companies complained that Corey Lewandowski tried to shake them down in return for DHS contracts. Just like Tom Holman and his restaurant takeout bag of cash.
▶ 0:37:43Secretary M. Mullen, have you cancel or modified any of the corrupt DHS contracts signed by Secretary Gnome?
▶ 0:37:56Thank you, Member Thompson. I I I wish we could just ask questions without you injecting your personal opinions and things. I'm not here to talk about Corey and and Christie. First of all, we do have some IG investigations. I'm not sure what they're about. They haven't shared with me, but we do have some stuff going on. Uh, but they were happening before I got there, but when you start saying campaigns by hiring white nationalist, that's racism. You have no proof on that. That's just your words that you want to throw out.
▶ 0:38:23And racism is very dangerous and we should all know that. We should all respect that. But that's dangerous language that you're using.
▶ 0:38:30Reclaiming my time. Uh, there's no question about the contracts. We know warehouses have been uh bought for two, three times their appraised value. It's in the public record. Uh there are a lot of other things. Uh a $200 million uh public ad uh featuring horses, the secretary riding horses. Uh that's grifting. That's wasting money that could go on the core mission of the agency.
▶ 0:38:59Um but obviously uh you don't see any problem with that.
▶ 0:39:03No, that's not true. We are looking at the contracts that weren't already signed and we did go through and cancel most of those.
▶ 0:39:09Well, that's that's the question I as but I was talking specifically about your dangerous language saying white white nationalist. That's a dangerous language and she you should apologize for that.
▶ 0:39:18So now will you provide the committee with the the contracts that you have uh had cancelled since you've been secretary?
▶ 0:39:30Yeah. Go ahead. Go ahead.
▶ 0:39:32Yeah. Uh we're doing a couple things right now. The first thing the secretary and I did when we came back into the organization is we met with uh the IG and uh we went through and had discussions of any of the open contracts that are out there. Um so at this point like I said you know what we're here to focus on is FY27 not the past. So I'm hoping that we'll be able to get
▶ 0:39:52reclaiming my time.
▶ 0:39:54If you know something is done wrong then I think you are obligated to stop it. I I absolutely think so too, but I think you have to follow the process. The IG is the person that would not evaluation of that.
▶ 0:40:06IG is based on a complaint.
▶ 0:40:10A number of complaints have come directly to the agency.
▶ 0:40:14We have on the contracts. We we stopped the contracts moving forward on some of the stuff that wasn't already signed. Some of the contracts were already there. They're there. Unless we unless the IG takes a look at them and says they were falsely signed under false circumstances, I can't cancel unless it's under penalty.
▶ 0:40:31So, what contracts can you share with the committee that have been stopped because of some irregularity?
▶ 0:40:37You mean the ones that we didn't sign?
▶ 0:40:39That's right.
▶ 0:40:40Yeah, we can give you those. That's easy. We we give us give us some time to respond to that and we'll get to you and we'll do it in a timely manner, too.
▶ 0:40:47All right. There's been some comment about uh punishing sanctuary cities uh relative to withdrawing CBP agents and other things. Have you reconsidered uh those comments you made uh based on the it wasn't it wasn't punishing sanctuary cities. It was sanctuary cities refusing to allow local and state enforcement officers to respond when we called. What we their response was is we don't have the resources.
▶ 0:41:14Well, if they don't have the resources and we have to pull the resources someplace. I'm not going to pull them from other regions. I have 80,000 law enforcement agencies DHS and through DHS I can pull them out of custom and border protection that's out of the airport. And unfortunately, until they get the resources at the state level, I don't have I don't have a problem or I don't have any uh other option but protect my employees at these federal facilities at the state level.
▶ 0:41:38So, the cities that you said you would withdraw from, you're not going to do it now? No, I did not say that. I said as long as they're willing to cooperate with us when they say they can't respond, local and state officials, because they don't have the resources, then I have to get the resources from some place. And I pull my officers as a whole through DHS. And if that means I got to pull them out of custom and border protection from processing international flights, I will. As they're cooperating with us, then I don't have to do that.
▶ 0:42:07Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Rank. member and secretary, I let I I let you finish that because I imagine that would come up again. Uh so I think getting the answer on the record now is great. But again, I want to limit everybody to five minutes or we'll be here uh all day. Um and now recognize the other gentleman from Mississippi, uh Mr. Guest for five minutes of questions.
▶ 0:42:26Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Secretary Mullen, thank you for being here. Uh thank you for your leadership. uh you came into the agency at a very critical time for DHS 76 day government shutdown, the longest shutdown of DHS uh in uh the AY's history. Uh we still have components of the agency uh that are not funded.
▶ 0:42:52Uh you mentioned about some of the major events that you will be um helping secure uh the 11 different sites uh for the FIFA World Cup games across the United States uh which will start next week. Uh America 250 uh the preparation for the Olympics in 2028. And so I personally want to thank you and your team for your service.
▶ 0:43:17Uh the ranking member mentioned in his opening statement um he said that under this administration that we have set a low bar at the department of homeland security for uh the uh secretaries running that. Uh I will tell you uh that I am proud to have you serving in that position. We want to talk about a low bar. Let's go back under the Biden Harris administration. Let's talk about Secretary Mayorcis.
▶ 0:43:45Under his leadership, 10 plus million illegal immigrants flooded across our southern border. Children, hundreds of thousands of children were lost under his administration. In one month, there were 300,000 illegal immigrants who flooded into our country. And so, you want to look at what you have done in a short period of time. and your predecessor. Uh, I want to thank you for that.
▶ 0:44:15I want to thank you for the fact that you have changed the direction of that agency and I want to thank you for standing up for the men and women, the law enforcement, the first responders who serve under you. Now, Mr. Secretary, you again inherited a difficult situation.
▶ 0:44:33Uh, and I want to ask you as it relates to that, talk to us a little bit about the impact that the Democrat shutdown has had on your ability to protect the homeland and also talk a little bit about the impact that it has had on the men and women who serve under your leadership. the impact it's had on morale, on retention, on hiring of additional agents to backfill uh positions that are currently vacant.
▶ 0:45:04Uh so would you please share with the committee some of the challenges that you are facing uh with these critical events ahead uh and the fact that you are still not fully funded uh and we are asking you to do more with less.
▶ 0:45:19Thank you so much for that question, Congressman. It's been very difficult. When I walked into the building, we had been shut down for the fourth time. Um, and I had a tremendous amount of employees that had the spirit of, hey, we'll work for free because we have the greatest mission in the world, and that's protect the homeland. The problem is is not everybody has that mindset. Some people also have to have the ability to get to and from work.
▶ 0:45:42Uh so often the left want to talk about the ones that are underpaid but yet they refuse to pay the people that are actually showing up and protecting their backyard, their states and our country. Um and it's hard. We lost just under 8% of our total or our total workforce through um uh through those four shutdowns.
▶ 0:46:01And when you start trying to recruit the brightest, the brightest and the best to come work for you and say, "Oh, by the way, we may be shut down again because people on this same committee here is already starting to threaten to shut us down again September 30th and you're going to go without pay again, by the way." Um, how are you going to get people to come work for you? And and it's not that people aren't willing to. We got, as I said, I feel I feel completely um honored by simply walking in the building and realize I'm surrounded by the best government employees in in the in the country because they're still there.
▶ 0:46:30they're still working and they're true patriots. Uh, but it it's it's it's tough. Morale gets low. Uh, when their spouses are upset that they're still having to drive to work because out there at St. Elizabeth there's not a metro stop. There's not a bus stop right there. Uh, everybody there has to commute and and so it gets very expensive at points and yet we're expecting them to continue to show up and all they're doing is enforcing our nation laws.
▶ 0:46:59I don't I don't pick and choose which law we're going to enforce. We're enforcing the laws that Congress passed and put within our authority to do so. And um and our employees are still doing it. So yes, it's difficult to re to retain uh people. It's hard uh to uh to to recruit people, but we still have people showing up and working every day. I'll use this quick statistic.
▶ 0:47:22United States Coast Guard has um over 90% retention and during this last year was the first time we've dropped below 90% in retention because of them going without pay and in recent history. If if that tells you anything that that's a that's a staggering statistic.
▶ 0:47:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 0:47:40Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from California, Mr. Korea, for five minutes.
▶ 0:47:44Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, gentlemen. Um, President Trump got elected promised to deport the worst of the worst. I'm from California, a sanctuary state from Orange County who follows the laws of a sanctuary So, picture here, we do have a lot of exceptions, meaning we do call eyes when we have the worst of the worst. We call you and we're about to release them.
▶ 0:48:14I'm going to show you also statistic from Sheriff Don Barnes, who Mr. Troy Edgar knows very well. In 2025, we called ICE 323 times. 52 times didn't show up to pick up the worst of the worst. I showed these statistics to your predecessor and today you're doing better. Only six were not picked up. But that's six, the worst of the worst that you still haven't picked up. manpower.
▶ 0:48:44It's an issue. Yeah. But right now, you're focusing on 70% of the people you're picking up. Don't have a criminal record. So, I'd advise you let those folks that are actually working and paying taxes continue to work and focus on the worst of the worst. Um, if you want to help me, Mr. Secretary, keep Main Street safe, I'm going to ask you to do me a favor. I need your help.
▶ 0:49:11DACA Those folks that have gone here to this country, little boys, little girls. I have two of them. They're police Their DACA permits expired. They had to be dismissed by local police agencies. I wrote you this letter, sir, asking me to please help me renew those DACA permits.
▶ 0:49:36think you're working on one, but there's a whole lot more folks out there that need to have the DACA renewals renewed in a timely basis. Can I ask you to please help me with that? I wrote you this letter. Can we work on
▶ 0:49:51Absolutely. We'd love to help with this, but as you know, Congressman, the fastest way to actually fix this DACA issue is for Congress to actually pass legislation to fix it.
▶ 0:49:59With all the respect, sir, you cut This is a feebased program. All you have to do is the fees that are paid go to DACA renewals. Let's work on that.
▶ 0:50:11Well, I I I'll work with you on it, but it has to
▶ 0:50:13And even the President Trump, I believe, supports this. So, let's work on this.
▶ 0:50:17I will work on it, but I will still go back. The fastest way to fix this problem is for Congress to pass something on this. We've been talking How long you How long have you been in Congress and how long have I been? I was in Congress.
▶ 0:50:28This is an issue. The last time we did immigration reform, Ronald Reagan was
▶ 0:50:33But DACA, we can do this like overnight.
▶ 0:50:37Help me pass. Help me get these renewals of these permits. If I can move to the next issue, sir, it's very important.
▶ 0:50:43Congressman, you just said something that's not accurate. I cannot fix this unilaterally by myself.
▶ 0:50:48I have limitations. No one. I have
▶ 0:50:51Renew these permits on a timely basis. We are going through those those permits just like we look at every other visa application. There's a lot of
▶ 0:51:00These are police officers on Main Street, sir.
▶ 0:51:03Not all of them.
▶ 0:51:04Help me keep Main Street. Not all of them are
▶ 0:51:06These two are, sir. I'm saying the case byase ones. Fine. We can go through it as a whole. I'm not going to wave a magic wand and just fix them all because we're
▶ 0:51:15You have that magic wand. That's your
▶ 0:51:17Go to Congress and they can fix this issue by legislation and you guys can choose what you want me to enforce in a job that Congress isn't willing to do.
▶ 0:51:25Let me talk about American citizens, sir. I'm going to ask you the same question I asked your predecessor. Am I going to have to tell my children at home to carry an American passport with them when they're out in the street?
▶ 0:51:38Congressman, I'm from Indian country. I'm from Indian country and we got a lot of brown people around there, too. I'm cherishing No, I'm not.
▶ 0:51:45We're not doing that. No, but it is it's the same that you're
▶ 0:51:48saying Rene Good and Alex Petty were not
▶ 0:51:51Oh my goodness. Okay, but
▶ 0:51:52we have American citizens being arrested right now by ICE.
▶ 0:51:56American citizens that are actually being deported.
▶ 0:51:59American citizens getting roughed up.
▶ 0:52:01I see this every day, sir. Look, your officers have a badge. They have a gun. They have federal power, sir.
▶ 0:52:10They have to respect American. Forget
▶ 0:52:14undocumented. Let's talk American
▶ 0:52:16Let's talk about that.
▶ 0:52:17What can we do to protect the rights of American citizens? How can we protect We can protect the rights of American citizens all day long. They don't have the right to assault my officers. They
▶ 0:52:26If you're driving by taking pictures of a situation, that's their first amendment right
▶ 0:52:31to impede a federal officer from doing
▶ 0:52:33No. If you impede, you take them in. But if they're driving by to final question, my 9 seconds, sir, make are you keeping a database of American citizens?
▶ 0:52:43Are we keeping a data database?
▶ 0:52:46A lot of your ICE agents out there have said We are keeping a database of No.
▶ 0:52:51Then how do you get a passport if you don't have a database?
▶ 0:52:54How can you keep a database of American citizens? Sir, why?
▶ 0:52:58Gentleman's times expired. I never
▶ 0:53:00That's your authority.
▶ 0:53:01I now recognize a gentleman from Florida, Mr. Jimenez, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 0:53:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Mr. Secretary, um good morning. When I was mayor of Miami Date County, there was um there was a facility down in Homestead that that housed um children uh minors and uh and every day that there there were Democrats outside uh demonstrating saying that how how horrible it was inside. Former Senator Camela Harris, my predecessor, a lot of other ones were out there yelling, screaming how bad it was. So I decided as mayor of Miami Day County, I was actually going to go in and check it out because it was in my jurisdiction.
▶ 0:53:35So I checked it out. There's nothing wrong in there. What they were doing, they were teaching those children how to speak English. They were giving three square meals. They were in a dorm setting with a with a supervisor, with a chaperon. And then there was a a bank of people that were actually calling around the country to find sponsors for these children. And the reason the children were there is because you can't house you can't house children in a detention center where adults are. That's why they were separated. But you know what? They weren't they weren't lost.
▶ 0:54:07You said we had 340,000 lost children under the Biden administration.
▶ 0:54:12That is correct. That's a rough number uh because we that's the best we can identify for sure. But that number we expect could go much higher.
▶ 0:54:20Much higher than 340,000 lost children. And so the Democrats on the other side of the aisle here, they're yelling and screaming because the Trump administration separated them because they had to separate them, but actually found them sponsors. Didn't lose them. And yet the tr the the Biden administration under Mayorcas lost over 340,000 children.
▶ 0:54:41Let me clarify this too. We do not separate families. If families want to stay together, we have a detention center in Texas where we put family units. The only time that that happens is when we ask the parent if they want the child to be deported with them or not. It's some parents choose not to because they want their children to stay in the US and then we have to find sponsors. But the difference was when they were separated, we found sponsors.
▶ 0:55:05That's right.
▶ 0:55:06The the Biden administration just lost and a lot of them are probably being sex trafficked or or they're being used for slave labor, etc. Would you agree with
▶ 0:55:16I would. Unfortunately, um we have that suspicion uh because the ones we have found, they were actually where they said the the person who picked them up at the border was uh we had to track them. the ones we can't find. There's a reason why they're off the grid and it's very, very concerning.
▶ 0:55:35HSI is spending a tremendous amount of resource and ICE is spending a lot of resource on trying to locate these kids because it's vitally important and they should never have been released the way they were on the border when they showed up like that. It's it's shameful and disgraceful.
▶ 0:55:49It is shameful. It's disgraceful. It's actually it's one of the worst things I've ever heard of. How how we the American government can do that to children coming in and allow them to be abused. Now, my next question is this. Who finds them? Who what agency? What what what agency of yours finds them or is trying to find them?
▶ 0:56:08HSI and ICE is trying to find them and
▶ 0:56:11ICE. The the the agency that uh that that my Democrats don't want to fund. Is that the one?
▶ 0:56:17Yeah. That's been defunded for quite some time. Yes.
▶ 0:56:19Uh-huh. The ones that are trying to find the children. It's ICE.
▶ 0:56:22Uh-huh. Okay. Well, how much more money do you need so that we can actually focus on the still hundreds of thousands of children that are missing?
▶ 0:56:30Uh do is this part of this budget or do you need additional funds for that?
▶ 0:56:34Well, we did have it in the budget. Unfortunately, uh it got stripped out and the budget that was uh that was put forth that Congress originally passed in the House and then decided to flip their vote and vote against it. Uh it made it difficult. So, what we want to do is have continuous funding, which is why reconciliation 2.0 O is vitally important because every time we have a lack in funding, we have a lack of investigations going forward because we're limited to what we can do.
▶ 0:56:57Will the reconciliation give you the money? The reconciliation package being looked at at the Senate, will it give you the money to go find those children?
▶ 0:57:04It it'll give us it'll give us three years of continuous funding which allows continuity between local and state officials. Keep in mind, we don't do all the research. We actually partner and give tools uh for IPO addresses that help find these sex trafficking rings and we break them up every single day.
▶ 0:57:21But every time we have a lapse of funding, we have to we have to relax those contracts in most states and especially small municipalities do not have the resources to continue and and typically we have agents that are actually assigned to those agencies that work side by side and we have to recall them. Uh and that's what that's what disrupts the the the continuing.
▶ 0:57:40Mr. Secretary, this should be one of your top, if not your top priority to find those children and get them away from the situation that they're at.
▶ 0:57:47It is one of the hardest missions we have, yet the most gratifying when we rescue these these children out and we're seeing a tremendous amount of of kids coming in from this country that are being trafficked.
▶ 0:57:58One final point, I will agree with my with my colleague from California. I think you need to use your discretion a little bit more as to who is being deported, who's being arrested, etc. Let's go after the worst of the worst. To have six six of the worst of the worst not being picked up, that needs to be rectified.
▶ 0:58:14So, real quick on that, uh, we have 48 hours. Yeah. But just to respond to that, we have 48 hours from the time they're in custody to the time to pick them up. And time they're in custody, not the time we get called. And if they call us, let's say 6 hours, and they've had the individual with 42 hours and we have 6 hours respond, it's difficult. If we can, we can get anywhere in 48 hours. But once they're arrested and we don't get informed until the day after or right before the clock expires, it's hard for us to do that.
▶ 0:58:39And there's no excuse for it, but we just don't have the resources to get there like we need
▶ 0:58:44Fair enough. Yield back.
▶ 0:58:46I recognize the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Tanadar. Five minutes.
▶ 0:58:50Thank you, chairman, and thank you, ranking member, for having this hearing And thank you, Secretary Mill, for your Secretary Mullen, for the past year and a half, the American people suffered under disastrous leadership of your predecessor, Christino.
▶ 0:59:14Cities across the country faced an unprecedented onslaught of immigration rates targeting civilians based on color of skin or language they spoke. Grants for communities that faced environmental disasters often went unfunded or were paused indefinitely.
▶ 0:59:39Put political donors received numerous DHS contracts worth millions and decisions made by the highest courts in our land to put a leash on your department were often blatantly ignored. Secretary Mullen, it's a yes or no question.
▶ 1:00:02Are you making concerted efforts to fasttrack the backlog of FEMA grants that needs to be awarded to communities that have suffered while hearing nothing from the federal government?
▶ 1:00:18We made that a priority as soon as you walked in the door. Uh the deputy and myself went to work from day one and you immediately started seeing grants start flowing again. Uh the biggest thing we had to do was to raise that threshold from where my predecessor at 100,000. We raised it significantly higher than that. Um so we could empower those that that we have in those positions to make those decisions. How about uh contracts with companies that work with DHS agencies?
▶ 1:00:44I understand that you have quite an enormous amount of shares in companies that hold DHS contracts. Are you prioritizing giving contracts to companies you hold shares in or to companies with political ties to your
▶ 1:01:04That's not accurate. I had to sell every bit of stock I had before I was confirmed. So, I owe no I have no stock. Secretary Mullen, I'm very concerned that your department is promoting white nationalist anti-immigrant sentiments on official social media accounts.
▶ 1:01:22One post quotes, "A song embraced by neo-Nazis and state law enforcement agencies have raised concerns that your post will motivate white supremist violence. When will you stop DHS from using its social media accounts to spared bigoted and racist words and imagery promoting great replacement theory?
▶ 1:01:51It's interesting how you make those claims and give no facts, but yet your part is the one that's supporting the guy that's got a Nazi tattoo.
▶ 1:01:56I have the facts. I have the facts, sir.
▶ 1:01:58No, there is no facts. You throw out nationalism, nauseism, and that's exactly what causes the hatred and the violence that happens to our officers every single day. And you should be ashamed of using that.
▶ 1:02:09Look, no, I It's not my words. I
▶ 1:02:11Here's your words. Look here. Here's Colorado. You
▶ 1:02:14endorse a candidate in Maine.
▶ 1:02:16Here is a candidate in Maine. That's a
▶ 1:02:18Let me reclaim my time, sir. Colorado Fusion Center says ICE white nationalist messaging could lead to violence. There is just numerous
▶ 1:02:29who said that? Who said that? And what is they actually
▶ 1:02:31This is Colorado Fusion Center.
▶ 1:02:33Now tell me exactly what message you're talking about. Now don't give me what some some poll that is ran by the left is talking about. Give me what you're actually specifically said. Yeah. You don't want to talk about it because but you want to throw out racism all the time to my secretary. Mr. Secretary, we got numerous reports. I want to move quickly to ICE training. Under Christ, new ICE agent received 42 days of training rather than the standard 72 days to meet President Trump's demand.
▶ 1:03:02We saw the efforts effects of this training shortage with ICE agents often ignoring the rule of law, engaging in unprofessional behavior and using unjustified force, including shooting and killing an American. When will DHS revert back to the 72 day training requirement for new ICE agents?
▶ 1:03:25When will ICE agents who received less training have to retake or reertify courses they were exempt from because of the accelerated training schedule.
▶ 1:03:37It's interesting to me how you always point out the behavior of our ICE agents, but you don't point out what caused it by the so-called peaceful protesters, which is a lot.
▶ 1:03:44It's a simple question.
▶ 1:03:45I will answer the question. July 1st, we bring it back up. We had to rewrite the curriculum. All training starting July 1st will be back up to the regular
▶ 1:03:53Secretary Mullen, can you promise the American people that the scene we saw
▶ 1:03:57gentleman's time is expired. I now recognize gentleman from Texas, Mr. McCall, for five minutes.
▶ 1:04:02Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your um in such a short period of time, your leadership you brought to the department. Um, it's been really phenomenal. Um, getting the F funding, working with members of Congress, your accessibility means a lot to us and when you met with us privately to talk about the funding, uh, you got it done and we still have to get CBP and ICE, but it has allowed you to do a lot of things that I was concerned about as chairman of the special events task force
▶ 1:04:33with respect to FIFA, World Cup, and the 250th anniversaries. you know uh while these are great u entertainment sporting games are also uh they also provide a high threat uh environment. Um I also want to commend you when we spoke at weapons of mass destruction office how quickly you were able to restore that um and working with Congress and I think that's the way it it should be.
▶ 1:05:01So I just want to thank you at the outset for that. Um I want to uh see if you could maybe expand to the extent you can in this room uh gi given the funding that came through what you're able to do now to make sure these games are safe.
▶ 1:05:19Um my biggest concern are the drone threats as we've seen you know from Iran shahad drones to Ukraine and Russia uh that kind of attack here in the United I used to be.
▶ 1:05:33I know. [laughter] Congressman, I I want to say first of all, thank you for your leadership in the WMD program. Um, you you you see the threat there and our conversation was very helpful and your leadership on making sure that we were able to realign it and had the funding to do so is not unnoticed throughout all DHS. So, thank you for that.
▶ 1:05:54Thank you.
▶ 1:05:54Um, drones are my biggest concern, too. We have spent a tremendous amount of ability um and money to be able to be very offensive with drones, but the um on the uh counter drone measures uh everybody's a little behind. I will tell you all 11 of facilities do have uh counter drone uh uh equipment at the facilities. Uh we have uh CBP that has five stadiums.
▶ 1:06:19Uh United States Coast Guard has two, FBS has one, and FBI has three. So, we're well prepared for it. Uh over and we learned a couple things lately, too. At the F1 in Miami, we had uh eight drones that entered the space that shouldn't be there. We were able to bring them down and find out where they came from and find the individuals or arrest them in some occasions. During the Augusta golf tournament, uh we had 12 that entered a no-fly zone. We were able to bring those down, too.
▶ 1:06:49Every single day, we improve, but that is a huge concern that we have within the stadium. I also have concerns outside the stadium in the FanFest area in the soft areas that's outside security. Um the lone individual that's got this crazy mindset uh about him. Uh maybe it's because of too much alcohol, maybe it's because of the temperature, maybe it's because his team loss, maybe because he's too excited. Whatever it is, those areas do concern me.
▶ 1:07:13But we have a a lot of partnership with our local uh law enforcement that is going to be out there in that area to make it as hard as an area as it can to take the soft look away. on cyber. Um I authorized um CISA many years ago into law. Uh the idea was to make it the civilian interface to um the government. So private sector to the federal government. There was a debate in Congress at the time about NSA taking this over.
▶ 1:07:43We didn't think that was um the right place for this. They're offensive. Uh and it's worked and I think we built built up CIS's capabilities. Um I'm um a little concerned. I just want to raise the issue. I know in the latest executive order on AI that the president is putting the Treasury Department in the spearhead role as the clearing house uh for that effort.
▶ 1:08:10And I I while I understand, you know, Fenson and the financial sector being threatened by um a lot of cyber models out there, I just want to, you know, reiterate the intent of Congress was for DHS to be the point person, the point agency uh on this.
▶ 1:08:30So uh CISA interacts with just about every other agency out there. And when we started looking at the biggest threats that AI is used for, it is through financial gain. But there isn't a single agency that DHS doesn't have um counter operations with. So why Treasury and Scott Bessett and I talk all the time. Uh he is very capable.
▶ 1:08:52We are very comfortable with the with what's happening there with them leading in this area because we're partnering with SISA and our tools uh with the unique authority we have and then he has separate authority. So we're because of the coordination I think we're better prepared than just leaving it within
▶ 1:09:07Excellent. Thanks for that answer.
▶ 1:09:09Gentleman yields [clears throat] back. I now recognize a gentleman from Rhode Island, Mr. Magazine for 5 minutes
▶ 1:09:14Thank you, Chairman and Secretary. Um we understand that laws need to be enforced, but your department has a lot of discretion in how you enforce those laws. When raids or apprehensions are carried out at schools and parents are forcefully separated from their children as other children look on, it terrorizes those kids. When raids are carried out at hospitals, people's lives could be put in danger.
▶ 1:09:37When they're carried out in courouses, people may be afraid to show up and offer testimony that could be needed to put bad guys behind bars. But under the Trump administration, there have been numerous examples of raids and apprehensions being carried out in these types of sensitive locations, churches, hospitals, schools, courouses. Now, I recognize that most of this occurred under your predecessor before your watch when you stepped into the role.
▶ 1:10:04So, now that you're in charge, will you direct the people under you to avoid operations in those kinds of sensitive locations?
▶ 1:10:11First of all, Congressman, I want to thank you for coming out to St. Elizabeth and and visiting me. Um there's not too many members that make that drive, but I hope you got to see a dedicated workforce when you walked in that building and the professionalism that we do uh every single day on keeping the homeland safe. The um so when we start talking about sensitive areas, we're not actively patrolling or enforcing in sensitive areas. However, we do serve warrants in those areas and these are going after the worst of the worst.
▶ 1:10:38When we go in there and we're serving the warrants at a hospital um or in fact, I don't think we've ever done a church. Uh the only thing that's happening to church is the protester by Don Lemon. Uh but when we start looking at actually what's happening in these sensitive areas, we're we're pulling that out. Now courts, I will say in courts when we go pick the individuals up, we're not rating the courts. We're picking them up on final orders, meaning that they've already they've already went clarification on this. So are you saying it's your policy and and again I'm talking about your tenure, not your predecessor.
▶ 1:11:08It's your policy that there won't be operations apprehensions in these types of sensitive locations unless you're serving a warrant,
▶ 1:11:15unless it's a felony warrant.
▶ 1:11:17And has this been made clear to everyone working under you? Like is there will you put out Have you or will you put out some sort of
▶ 1:11:23We have we have made that Yeah, we've made that very clear. Tom Hman and I have talked about this. Uh now we listen if people are avoiding us in those areas, we got to go get them, but we're not doing fullcale immigration operations. So just to reclaim my time, there have been examples of this occurring still. On April 9th, several men were detained at a courthouse in Rancho Cukamonga, California. There was another incident in New York City on May 19th. And as far as we're aware, none of these individuals have been charged with any crimes.
▶ 1:11:53There was not a removal order. Um, and so I just want to make sure that what you're saying
▶ 1:11:59is filtering down to the people under you. Will you put out some sort of a written bulletin or something to codify
▶ 1:12:04out there? Yeah. And congressman, on both those cases, uh we looked into uh both those cases, there was people that were arrested that didn't have final orders, but there was a person that was with them in both cases that did have final orders. So when we go into a house, for instance, we're serving a judicial warrant and we go after the person that's there, we don't we check everybody else's policy, too.
▶ 1:12:25I I appreciate that. question is again so that everyone working under you is clear on the policy will you put out some kind of a written directive or something just to clarify it
▶ 1:12:33I we'll we'll look into that I think it's already out
▶ 1:12:36I I I'd like to move to another topic now so um
▶ 1:12:41the administration deployed thousands of border patrol and ICE officers into American cities including Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In the chaos that followed, two American citizens were killed. Countless other people were seriously injured. Now, I recognize again this all happened before your tenure or much of it happened before your tenure. I asked for the data of how many DHS officers have been disciplined for improper use of force in recent years.
▶ 1:13:05And I'll give you credit because while your predecessor did not respond to my request for information, your office has begun to provide some. But the data is concerning. This is CBP. At the same time that ICE and Border Patrol were engaging in all of these violent conflicts in American cities last year, the number of Border Patrol officers disciplined for improper use of force actually went down dramatically. And in fact, that number two there is inflated because one of them was disciplined for failing to bring his firearm to work.
▶ 1:13:35The other was a work workers compensation issue which I assume was mclassified. So can you explain this and can you explain what you are going to do to ensure that those who do step over the line, those who do act inappropriately will be held accountable because this accountability did not exist under your predecessor.
▶ 1:13:50We hold everybody at the highest standard and if you fail to meet that standard, we will hold you accountable.
▶ 1:13:55I'm glad to hear you say that because that was not the case under your predecessor. And I think if part of your charge, part of the reason you're sitting here, by the way, is because your predecessor lost the trust of the American people. If you're trying to regain it, you need to show that there will be accountability just like there is in any other law enforcement office agency in the country when someone does engage in improper use of force. Last question. Will you commit to continuing to provide this data say every six months or so? And will you provide it for ICE as well as CBP?
▶ 1:14:23We'll we'll provide it upon request to say it every six months. We get inquiries from you guys constantly.
▶ 1:14:29And it is over
▶ 1:14:29waiting on the ICE data. Will you provide the data? as as we get requests on it, we'll we'll try to get to it as fast as possible to you.
▶ 1:14:35Gentlemen, thank you very much. Uh gentleman's time is expired. I now recognize gentleman from Texas, Mr. Fluger, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 1:14:43Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary, thanks for your leadership. Thanks for coming in with a an attitude of establishing the the rule of law and not picking and choosing. And if if there's one thing I disagreed with on your opening statement, you have had secretaries that that picked and choose. Not you, but Secretary Mayor has picked and choose which laws he would enforce. And as a result, we had an impeachment that started in this uh this very committee room.
▶ 1:15:06Um I spoke to some of your your agents, incredible people, uh over the weekend, and I asked them a couple of questions and said, "What g give me an idea of what's happening in New Jersey?" uh the sickening threats that we are seeing. Give me an idea of what that means to your officers and your agents.
▶ 1:15:27The entire country saw a person threaten one of your agents and said, "I will effing kill you and I will effing kill your family." That is absolutely disgusting. There is zero room or tolerance in this country for something like that. Um, your agents recommended that we work on enhancing the penalties for doxing, for intimidating, for threatening federal agents, including Customs and Border Protection agents. That's exactly what I'm going to do.
▶ 1:15:56And I want to ask my Democratic colleagues right here in this committee room right now. Who wants to join me in legislation to enhance federal penalties for doxing, intimidating, or threatening federal agents? Who wants
▶ 1:16:09Will you include federal judges?
▶ 1:16:11Because I'll join you if you include federal judges. Mr. Mr. Mr. Goldmap that Mr. Korea every
▶ 1:16:17and if you include elected officials because all of us have gotten
▶ 1:16:20gentlemen our gentleman will gentleman will suspend
▶ 1:16:23I'm happy to join you in that
▶ 1:16:24gentleman will suspend
▶ 1:16:26this [snorts] is your time questions are directed at the secretary
▶ 1:16:31please continue
▶ 1:16:32thank you Mr. Chairman Mr. Secretary we're going to work in a bipartisan manner to protect your agents and you just heard it from my my colleague Mr. Goldman and you heard it from my colleague Mr. career. We're going to work in a bipartisan manner to protect your agents to make sure that that never happens again and those penalties are enhanced as much as humanly possible.
▶ 1:16:50Yeah, I would I think it should be that way, too, because we have your colleagues from the other side of the aisle a lot of times talk about the mask and why they're masked men, but it's the doxing that takes place. This officer that was threatened didn't have a mask on, but he does have a family. And what's interesting is they knew his family uh because they're very sophisticated. These aren't just peaceful riders or peaceful protesters out there. They're wellunded and they have technology. And we see it immediately when we have officers that are out there that don't have a mask on.
▶ 1:17:18They get doxed and their family starts getting attacked on social media. They start getting attacked at their schools. They start getting verbally attacked. They start getting verbally attacked at their schools and at their homes. Um and so I it should be if we want to take if we want to eliminate the the officers from having to wear mask, then increase the penalties. And we should all agree with if they dox them, they threaten them in any way whatsoever, it should be a very stiff penalty to get all their attention. And then those that are funding the protest should also be held accountable the same way.
▶ 1:17:48We're going to work on that. You have my commitment. Now we have a bipartisan agreement to do that. Um, let me ask you the same exact question that I asked Secretary Mayorus when he was sitting here. Um, and I and I said to him, are there people who match the terror watch list that have been let into the United States? And if so, is the Department of Homeland Security trying to do something about it to extract them, to find them, to prosecute them, to get them out of our country to keep our country safe? So, I'll ask you that question. Same same.
▶ 1:18:15Every single week, we're we're arresting terrorists either coming across our border or that's already in this country. What's interesting to us is one of the ways we're able to find these terrorists on the terrorist watch list that was let in on under probation with our previous administration is when they're coming back flying from this terrorist country that they that they came from to begin with.
▶ 1:18:33Um what they'll do is they leave the United States, they go into Canada, uh they fly out of Canada and then we because of the relationship we have with them, we'll recognize when they come in and land, they'll either arrest them or we'll track them until they cross the border and we'll rest them at the border. But every single week, we're arresting terrorists that are ending in this country. And we've seen a dangerous tick up in Iran right now.
▶ 1:18:54It only took a change of uh our administration to get the correct answer on that. And I I thank you for that
▶ 1:19:00President Trump every single day is focusing on on making America safe and great again.
▶ 1:19:05U I I appreciate that, Secretary, and I believe you and we know that you're doing everything you possibly can and your agents are as well. Last question for you. Uh it's been talked about with SISA. Um and just want to um you know kind of get a an understanding to make sure that SISA is kind of is definitely the central authority when it comes to the coordination whether it's Treasury or anybody else because there were some concerning things that that we heard. Uh last 15 seconds to you.
▶ 1:19:31So we we coordinate with Treasury but we coordinate with all the agencies along the way. Um and CISA as I said has very unique authority. It hasn't qu completely been utilized. We're going to restore that. We're putting the right people in place. We've got a person soon to be nominated that'll be running SISA that has the ability uh to to recruit and focus on the uh the authorities we have. We want SISA to be the leader in cyber security. They should be and they will be.
▶ 1:19:57Thank you, Secretary.
▶ 1:19:59Thank [clears throat] you very much. I now recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, for five minutes of
▶ 1:20:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Mullen, how do you determine when a court order is political or not? Well, typically when it's overturned by a higher court.
▶ 1:20:15So, in the interim period when it's on uh, do you follow that court order?
▶ 1:20:24Sir, we enforce the law every single day. We don't pick and choose which law we enforce. We simply
▶ 1:20:28I'm not talking about the law. I'm talking about a court order.
▶ 1:20:30Well, but it is a law. So, we're enforcing the law every single day.
▶ 1:20:33Okay. Because yesterday, the thing that concerned me is that you would not
▶ 1:20:39you would not certify to Senator Murphy that you will follow the court orders.
▶ 1:20:46What I said is the same answer I gave you right now.
▶ 1:20:49I gave you the I gave him the exact same answer I gave you. We'll enforce the nation's laws. That we don't pick and choose which law we enforce. We enforce the nation's laws. But it is
▶ 1:20:57So then why is it relevant whether it's polit political or not? Because we see lower benches and even upper benches that make decisions based on political reasons, not just
▶ 1:21:05But so who makes that decision? You say we see it. Who who decides?
▶ 1:21:08We see it all the time. Tell me it hasn't happened. You guys administration was in office.
▶ 1:21:13I didn't say that. You said it. You said you see all the time. You decide that,
▶ 1:21:17Congressman. I said we're going to enforce the law. We don't pick and choose which law. We enforce the nation's laws. We'll stop.
▶ 1:21:24So you you will follow court orders. is
▶ 1:21:27said we'll enforce the nation's laws. you are uh aware, I'm sure, of a case in New York uh related to the arrests at immigration courouses.
▶ 1:21:41Uh in March, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York uh wrote an extraordinary letter to a judge uh accusing an ICE lawyer of concealing a memo from both the US attorney's office and the judge. And that memo specifically undermined the policy that ICE was using to arrest immigrants at immigration courouses. You're familiar with that?
▶ 1:22:11I'm actually not.
▶ 1:22:12You're not? Okay. Well, that is what happened. It's a little disappointing to me that you're not familiar with that.
▶ 1:22:19I don't know the number of cases we have that could we get sued.
▶ 1:22:22Well, this is the question, though. I've never I I was worked in the Department of Justice for 10 years. had never seen a letter like that where a representation by a government agency to a court that uh another government agency actively concealed a memo that ultimately changed the decision. Has there been any disciplinary action taken on that ICE agency lawyer?
▶ 1:22:48I'm not familiar with case already said
▶ 1:22:51Well, that's disappointing to me because
▶ 1:22:53we get hundreds you get hundreds but I tr trust you. You do not get letters like this to courts from the US attorney's office accusing their own co a government colleague in a different agency of concealing a memo. And now the problem is
▶ 1:23:08I would have to I would have to see it before I take your your full you should also look at the judge's order where he then prohibited any arrests at immigration courouses at the three federal buildings in New York City. Are you aware of that? He has the authority to do that because when they're on final order, we don't think he has the authority to do that.
▶ 1:23:31When they're on final order, we pick them up after the court case. That's that's law.
▶ 1:23:36So, where are we supposed to arrest them if they're on final order and it gets
▶ 1:23:40Sir, they're not going to for a final order of removal. They are going for their asylum.
▶ 1:23:47You said you just said a blanket statement. You didn't give preference to it. I said if it's a final order. You said they're not supposed to arrest any. That's what you just said.
▶ 1:23:54At immigration courouses,
▶ 1:23:55if they're on final order of removal and they filed their last appeal, then we have the right to pick them up and deport them.
▶ 1:24:03That never happens. Never. No appeal is ever happens at a courtroom in immigration court. Okay? What happens every day and thousands and thousands of time against your own policy is that people who are here lawfully seeking lawful status go to court because they're required to do so. And then they come out of court and they're snatched by your ICE officers. They're arrested. They're sent to Delaney Hall. They're sent to the MDC. They are not the worst of the worst.
▶ 1:24:33They have no records. And you know how we have no record? They have no records because those two facilities are low security. They are not allowed to go there if they have serious criminal conviction. Delhus6 people. That's in Delaney Hall. 228 are serious felons.
▶ 1:24:53Explain my time. I would like extra time, please.
▶ 1:24:57So, the problem is that they are being arrested without a final order of removal. Judge Castell, a Bush appointee, I don't know if that matters in the political calculation, has stopped has ordered that to be stopped. Are you going to stop that same process outside of New York City? because it applies equally every single place in this country.
▶ 1:25:21The gentleman's time has expired. U and I will I will the gentleman's time's expired. I will remind the witness that when this is the member's time when they reclaim it. Please uh allow them to move on. I'm I am trying to hold everybody to the five minutes. I'm letting him try to answer when these are important because these are important questions everyone. I'm trying to let him answer but I will still keep order here. So witnesses, when the time is reclaimed, please allow the member to continue.
▶ 1:25:50Their time is limited to five
▶ 1:25:52It's a simple question. Can he answer
▶ 1:25:54No. He's your time is now expired. And I will recognize the gentleman from
▶ 1:25:57Way to run interference.
▶ 1:26:00No, your time was limited to five minutes and you started with a statement. I will now recognize the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Bken, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 1:26:08Mr. Secretary, it's uh truly great to see you in this role. I mean, I think you're doing an outstanding job. Uh, I hope that the exchange between uh, Representative Magaziner, Democrat from Rhode Island, I thought that was a really great exchange between the two of you. Um, he paid you a huge compliment and um, and you paid him a compliment and you you've shown that, you know, the way even you started this was you you didn't go on script and and that's your strength.
▶ 1:26:34Um, you you you straight talk and then there's also the ability to reason together. And so I just want to commend you for the tenor um that you bring in before this and I thought his comment uh uh and his compliment to you was welld deserved.
▶ 1:26:48um because we're going to talk about the budget and that's why people came uh here was to hear you speak and because of the way that the one big beautiful bill was fashioned on on border wall construction and you know as someone that was um in the house and the senate how important it is under President Trump's tenure to make sure that the the physical barriers I want to give you a chance uh to talk about that and kind of the progress on that for you know concerns for this committee um then I'll transition to something else and and I
▶ 1:27:19I know the people want to hear you.
▶ 1:27:20Yeah. So, uh on the border wall, first of all, we are on track to have the primary wall done uh completed from the Pacific to Gulf of America this time next year. Uh we have we'll have all contracts out uh by the end of this month. We're having great progress. Now, the primary wall is not the secondary wall. The primary wall is the first wall up because of the way the cartels adjust and they're criminals and they're thugs and they're terrorists.
▶ 1:27:48Um we have to push out a secondary wall because they've been going in and cutting the wall and before we can respond to some of these remote areas they've been able to get through because every mile we put up the bigger or the smaller the choke point gets for criminals across.
▶ 1:28:02uh but we see that so we're putting 150 ft some places sometimes it's smaller than that for a secondary wall that they got to go over plus a smart wall which will tell us approximately how many people are there if they're carrying a pack they're not carrying a pack the smart wall is pretty pretty impressive and we can put um a drone in the sky and immediately keep eyes on them. So um we're we're well within track the secondary wall we feel like if we can continue to have the progress we have and the partnerships we're having uh we will probably complete that the summer of 28.
▶ 1:28:31And so all of it will be fully completed. Now weather play a role in that, but that's being p pretty uh pretty generous with
▶ 1:28:38Uh I think your construction background um is going to be paramount and
▶ 1:28:42we have I've made a I have made some trips and we've been able to look over that wall. Uh flew over a tremendous amount of it. We have some Democrat members that's had some concerns, some Democrat senators, congressmen. Every one of them we try to address
▶ 1:28:56Um President Trump's safety. uh if you could talk about uh the things that you know we've seen the multiple attempts attack against him your role over Secret Service. Secret Service does a phenomenal job. Um and they're underst staffed. We need to hire about 860 agents. Uh right now uh President Trump unfortunately assassination attempts on him have become normal. And it's sad. It doesn't seem like it faces him. He's laser focused on his job. He trusts the Secret Service. I trust the Secret Service. They're the ones that protect me every single day.
▶ 1:29:26They are phenomenal people, but they're working around the clock. Um, I just want to point something out. The reason why it's so important to continue funding and keep it pushing forward in 2028, we're going to have the busiest year for Secret Service in the history of the Secret Service. And just to keep in mind, we're going to have uh a tremendous amount of of uh of governments that's going to be going to be visiting during the Olympics. Uh we're going to have an election year coming up.
▶ 1:29:48There's a real possibility we could have three presidential details and uh and three VP details and possibly more than that because if they require us to do it before the convention, it could take it could stretch us thin. That secret services responsibility to do that. Uh plus all the dignitaries that's coming in from out of the country, Secret Service provides uh service for that. in just about every one of these major events, even though DHS has uh the overall view of it.
▶ 1:30:13When you start taking Freedom 250, you start taking uh the FIFA games, you look at what's going on at the Olympics, the the SEIR rating, that is the the rating of seriousness of of protection needs to be there. That's all ran by Secret Service. Now, we partner with them, but they are stretched thin and uh and and we're going to have to plus their budget up significantly to be able to allow them to meet that that that threat coming towards us.
▶ 1:30:39And given 30 seconds, um regarding the task force that was set up about trying to find more uh greater means for efficiency with FEMA, um as someone who's from Oklahoma, who readily knows how Oklahoma is often impacted by weather events, um you got about 10 15 seconds here. Anything you can tell us about the progress of that task force? Yeah, we're going to have to restructure the way FEMA operates and push it closer to the states. The dollars that get to the states, they can do it cheaper and more efficient and faster than FEMA could ever do.
▶ 1:31:06FEMA was never designed to be a the first in and last out. There was there to to support the state and the local community on their bad day. Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Ramirez, for five minutes questions.
▶ 1:31:20Thank you, Chairman. I appreciate it. Secretary Mullen, you have been now in office for 71 days and you've been in this new row in 71 days of your watch. And I'll be honest with you, my office is getting more of the same. As you can see in the posters, I'm not going to go into details here because I want to really focus on questions with you. So, my questions are going to be yes or no because I want to be able to go through a list of them. First one, Secretary.
▶ 1:31:47As a former member of the House and Senate, are you clear that members of Congress have statutory oversight authority over federally funded detention facilities? Yes or no?
▶ 1:31:57I do with proper notice when we're in a I'm reclaiming my time.
▶ 1:32:04I'm going to go to the second question here. Yes or no? Given that Senator Andy Kim was acting within his statutory oversight authority at Delaney Hall, would you retract your comments that a senator probably shouldn't have been there? Yes or no? Would you retract
▶ 1:32:20Andy Kim and I have visited multiple times. There is no yes or no on that. If you don't, I can sit right here and not answer any of your questions if it's going to be there's a backtory behind that that I talked multiple times and we let him in center that day.
▶ 1:32:33Thank you. These yes or no questions chairman but you can't I am the member
▶ 1:32:40I'm glad I agree somebody like
▶ 1:32:42we need to stop we need to stop the
▶ 1:32:44I said suspend
▶ 1:32:47I said suspend okay again the members are entitled to ask questions they are the witness is entitled to ask them he is here voluntarily the members are entitled to ask their question. They cannot limit his answer. If they say yes or no and it's not a yes or no question and they they want to chairman answer, we're reclaiming and we're moving on.
▶ 1:33:14If you That's fine. You can reclaim your time. That that's fine. But do not you get to ask the question, the witness gets to answer it. He does. You do not get to tell him
▶ 1:33:24reclaim it. Does he stop speaking?
▶ 1:33:25I'm It's still suspended. Okay. But this is for everyone. Not just this is for everyone, not just you. Again, I will we can add the because you did add I think 10 more seconds back onto the clock.
▶ 1:33:38It's more like 20.
▶ 1:33:42Um 10 more seconds back onto the clock.
▶ 1:33:46So, we're going back to another
▶ 1:33:48Let's get it let's get let's get everything set and then I will I will let everything start again.
▶ 1:33:533:46, please. So, Secretary, are you familiar with the ICE National Detention Standard? Standard 4, food service that establishes that food and ICE attention must be nutritious and hygienic. Are you familiar with the standard? That's a pretty easy yes or no. Are you familiar with the standard? Thank you.
▶ 1:34:12So, given ISIS standards and reports of decaying food confirmed by congressional oversight, would you retract your comments dismissing detainees concerns about rotten food as a desire for ethnic food? Would you retract those comments?
▶ 1:34:25I didn't say rotten food. I said they wanted ethnic correct food and I said this isn't a holiday in. We're not providing that. But we did release the menu and if you saw a time if you look time to look at the menu,
▶ 1:34:33you're not retracting your comments. Okay. So, uh, let me just make sure I clarify. These questions were important because I know it shows this. You've been in Congress before. You've been in the House and Senate. You understand the separation of powers. You know Congress's role. You understand that there are rules and standards that you're required to follow. You've been saying this uh in the last 45 minutes we've been here.
▶ 1:34:52And still you're disregarding what you we know, which is that you're doing the same thing that your president and Miller want you to do, which is spew this garbage that makes immigrants criminals and that creates the standards and conditions for even children in detention to be living in inhumane conditions. You know what I call that? I I call that being a tool. And let let me tell you the impact of these actions.
▶ 1:35:18Kevin Gonzalez, my 18-year-old US citizen constituent with stage four colon cancer. He wanted to see his parents one last time, But you rejected his parents' visa to come say goodbye to their son. In desperation, they came the only way that they knew how. They tried to cross the border. And when they tried to cross the border, they were detained by CBP in Arizona.
▶ 1:35:48They weren't just released so they can go back to Mexico. They sat in that detention center for one whole month. My office, the Mexican consulate and their legal team, they worked tirelessly to ensure that the Gonzalez family could be could be reunited because they knew that Kevin just had weeks to go, that he could die at any time. He was diagnosed in January. Kevin, I want to show you the video.
▶ 1:36:18This is when he finally got to see his mother and father. [crying] Kevin went to Mexico. You hear that cry from that mother. What you're not seeing is the father is wrapped around his son's feet crying hysterically after a month in detention. Secretary Kevin died less than 24 hours after that engagement.
▶ 1:36:45So I want to ask for every parent in this room, including Secretary Mullen and including my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, wouldn't you go at any length to be able to see your dying child one last time? You know, rejecting visas to Kevin's family, that didn't protect our communities. family separation. That doesn't make any community safer. So, who then ends up benefiting from this? I'm going to tell you who benefits.
▶ 1:37:16For-profit prison corporations. They profit from cruelty and point. And you now are operating as a secretary inflicting cruelty and pain. And I have to say this for Kevin, for Vinia, his grandmother who's my constituent. We will not forget the terror of ICE. and we will not forget what DHS continues to do even under your watch. We know that a better world is possible.
▶ 1:37:41We need something new and that means I will say it loudly so that you could go ahead and quote it if you need to. We need to abolish ICE and we need to dismantle DHS. And like I told your predecessor I wouldn't get comfortable because you have to be held accountable. With that, I yield back.
▶ 1:37:59Gentle lady yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. strong for five minutes.
▶ 1:38:05Thank you, Mr. uh Chairman Garberino and Ranking Member Thompson. Secretary Mullen, thank you for being here today and for the work you and your team are doing to keep our nation safe. I represent Alabama's fifth congressional district, home to uh home in Huntsville, Alabama and Redstone Arsenal. You may know that North Alabama offers a unique combination of uh mission capability, affordability, workforce talent, and room for future growth.
▶ 1:38:29We're proud to host HSI's XCOM South uh for the National uh Academy for Advanced Training and Leadership along with numerous companies, organizations, and other federal components that support DHS mission every day. I'd like to welcome the opportunity to host you in Huntsville. I know that you're well aware of us, but it'd be a great trip if we could have you there to see all of our different things that we have to offer in North Alabama.
▶ 1:38:54Like many of my colleagues, the threat posed by UAS is at the top of the minds of at the top of our mind, especially as we prepare to host major international events such as FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. Redstone Arsenal is home to the National Counter UAS Training Center, which trains federal, state, and local personnel to detect, track, and respond to drone threats. The center is playing a critical role in preparing law enforcement partners ahead of the World Cup and other major national events.
▶ 1:39:24Secretary Mullen, can you discuss the role the National Counter UAS training center is playing in DHS's broader counter drone strategy and do you believe uh we are making the investment and building the partnerships necessary to stay ahead of emerging UAS threats?
▶ 1:39:42Thank you for the question. I'm actually going to be there at the facility on Friday uh with Katie Britt. Understand you can't make it because you got duties here in Congress. I think we're trying to make Huntsville too. We're going to reschedule it to where you can be there. Uh because Alabama is leading in this area. Uh we really appreciate the leadership. As I said, counter US is the uh is I think the largest concern that I have on a on a daily basis.
▶ 1:40:06and the fact that we're able to partner uh with Alabama uh to be able to put this center there, be able to bring local law enforcement from all over the country, and really quite frankly, we're going to be bringing people from all over the world uh to be able to train in this facility and continue to grow and collaborate with uh with those that have the best uh technology, the best ability, work with the private public partnership is invaluable.
▶ 1:40:32and and we look to we look forward to seeing what that's going to produce by 2028 when the Olympics are here.
▶ 1:40:37Thank you, Mr. Secretary. We welcome you to uh to the Rocket City. I recently uh introduced a bill, the safe
▶ 1:40:42it's called as Rocket City.
▶ 1:40:44Rocket City, Alabama, the propulsion capital of the world. Uh the I recently introduced a bill, the safeguard act to mandate that revenue collected through TSA's 911 passenger security fee be dedicated to bolstering aviation airport security. Can you speak to the importance of investing in security technology and what it would mean if Congress could end the uh diversion of these fees when it expires next year?
▶ 1:41:10Right now, we're looking at rolling out new programs with TSA. Um TSA has they they touch more uh Americans and more people on a daily basis than any other government agency. And uh the top 20 or the top 10 of the top 20 airports that operate within the United States is actually um privately ran TSA agents where we reimburse them for but we only reimburse them for personnel.
▶ 1:41:35What we're doing now is we're going to roll that out even further and partner with public uh companies, private companies, uh to be able to um to be able to bring in technology and and have it run smoothly without without uh decreasing our security, but increasing our security. There's a lot of technology that is out there that we're just not utilizing. We feel like when we really bring in the the private sector, we'll be able to expand and uh and and be ready once again. We have four to or five to seven million visitors coming in for FIFA.
▶ 1:42:06We're going to have more than that in 2028 during the Olympics and we need that process to continue to move without
▶ 1:42:13I believe that it's about $5.50 per direct flight going uh anywhere. And what I want to do is get that money just like you've said where it's doing uh great things for safety. Switching gears, I want to commend DHS and the administration for their continued focus on strengthening operations and addressing the challenges along the southern border.
▶ 1:42:33Given the scale and the complexity of ongoing border security efforts, does DHS currently have the internal expertise and operational capacity needed to execute its largecale uh initiatives on time? Are you specifically talking about the
▶ 1:42:49Uh every what we're you know what we're seeing there to carry out those initiatives from protecting the southern border, the construction of the wall, those dollars that we've approved here.
▶ 1:42:58We do we see the cartels are adapting right now because they had uh luxury city uh availability during the last you know administration where they didn't have to invest in technology. They simply walked across, drove across uh and rode across. And so we we're doing now is we're seeing that we well we discovered a tunnel for the first time recently in many years and we're seeing more drone technology. So we're adapting but we have the ability and we um but we definitely need more resources.
▶ 1:43:27Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Mr. Chairman, I'll yield back.
▶ 1:43:29Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. Kennedy, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 1:43:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Nuru Lamin Sha Alam. Secretary Mullen. Does that name mean anything to you?
▶ 1:43:41I'm sorry. Repeat that. Naru Amin Sha Alam. Does that name mean anything to
▶ 1:43:46No, I don't think so.
▶ 1:43:47I'm very saddened, heartbroken, and disgusted by that quite frankly. Mr. Sha Alam was here lawfully in our country, arriving in Buffalo, New York as a refugee in December of 2024 with his wife and children. He and his family were in search of the American dream. A life free from persecution, free of genocide at the hands of their government, free from crimes against humanity, unimaginable to those of us that are lucky enough to be born in our free country. Mr.
▶ 1:44:15Shaam was promised a fate far different from what he'd been subjected to in Burma. Instead, his 14 months in the United States came to a tragic end following his release from your department. On February 19th, Mr. Sha Alam was detained by DHS. DHS agents determined he was here lawfully and upon release they dropped him at a closed coffee shop in Buffalo, New York in the dead of winter.
▶ 1:44:42That night, agents left him without proper clothing, without the care of his family, without any resources to find safety in near freezing temperatures. He was blind, disabled, spoke little to no English. his family, who filed a missing person's report days later, had no idea of his whereabouts or that he'd even been released. Tragically, Mr. Shalaman was found dead five days later on February 24th, 2026 on a street in the unforgiving Buffalo winter, 5 miles from his home.
▶ 1:45:12I just want to I just I am familiar with this. Death was caused by a stress ulcer, dehydration, and hyperothermia. and it's been ruled a homicide. In the days following his passing, DHS claimed Mr. Shaalan was dropped at a warm, safe location. DHS said he showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance. So, Mr. Secretary, yes or no?
▶ 1:45:40Would you say that someone who's blind, has severe mobility issues, and who speaks a specific non-English dialect generally require special assistance? First of all, I I need to correct my answer. I I am familiar with this case. It is under investigation and that's all I can say about it.
▶ 1:45:56And would you say that a the back of a dark parking lot in a closed coffee shop on a winter night in Buffalo without proper clothing is a warm safe?
▶ 1:46:08It's it's under investigation. Sir, the family of Nuruamine Shaolam, the Burmese community, the people of Buffalo, refugees in every community in our country, in every single American deserves answers from your department. I've sent multiple letters to your department, including the day after you were sworn in on March 24th demanding that DHS open an investigation into this case. I've received nothing in return.
▶ 1:46:36I just told you twice. It's under
▶ 1:46:38Okay. So why wouldn't you explain that and answer very simply in in in some sort of public response to the American people over two months ago over two months ago when this letter was written and over three months ago when this man was found dead and the last people that were had any contact with him that we are aware of were your department.
▶ 1:47:02I I apologize for not responding to you in two months. We want to really lean into that. uh you know in the past I don't think this department underneath um anyone's leadership has been real responsive to Congress. I have changed that. We are trying to be as responsive to anybody that calls me, reaches out to me. That's not acceptable. Two months I agree with that. But we could have easily told you it was been under
▶ 1:47:25So will you commit to providing my office and the people of this country with a timely response to my March 24th
▶ 1:47:32I just answered the question for your letter. If you want me to re put it in writing, I can put it in writing for
▶ 1:47:37We want it in writing.
▶ 1:47:38Take a piece of paper. I put it down for
▶ 1:47:39Yeah. We want the American people to see what your department is doing. So, this community committee deserves answers. The people of this country deserve answers. Your predecessor, Christy Gnome, ran this department straight into the ground. Her conduct as secretary disgraced the brave career law enforcement officials who signed up to work at the Department of Homeland Security to protect their fellow citizens.
▶ 1:48:00Since you became secretary, what have you done to change the culture of your department and ensure the actions of all DHS officials are consistent with the Constitution and our values as Americans?
▶ 1:48:11Underneath the previous administration, they they took the the the teeth out from our law enforcement, DHS. My predecessor and myself were enforcing the law of the land, not turning a blind eye to it. And that's what Melo Chris did. He turned a blind eye to it.
▶ 1:48:25Your your predecessor is no longer here. She disgraced this department and it seems like you are following right in her footsteps under your leadership.
▶ 1:48:34That is not true. Don't accuse me of something that's not true
▶ 1:48:37without food. Sir,
▶ 1:48:38you can say all you want, but don't accuse me of something. Sit there and tell lies all day long and all it is is a lie. Corner.
▶ 1:48:44Gentleman's time.
▶ 1:48:45That's a flatout lie. And you know it's a flat lie. That's a lie.
▶ 1:48:48That is a lie.
▶ 1:48:49Gentleman's time is expired. We will We
▶ 1:48:52You know that's a lie.
▶ 1:48:54That's a lie. You know it's a lie.
▶ 1:48:56Mr. Secretary, Mr. Secretary, we will continue to do this hearing like we have done the ones in the past. I am asking everyone, please questions, do not attack each other's characters. That is something that is a violation of House rules.
▶ 1:49:20So, no attack's character. No,
▶ 1:49:23I did not attack his character, Mr. Chair. I'm just saying the statement is
▶ 1:49:26Simply stated facts about the department. What I'm saying right now,
▶ 1:49:29it's not a fact. You can't point to a single fact that's accurate. Mr. Chairman,
▶ 1:49:36I I think the point is if the witness is not a question, but making a statement that's not not a question he shouldn't be allowed to to ask. The point is, we've had these hearings before. This is not the first time we've had a secretary in front of us.
▶ 1:50:00Members know how we do things around here since I become chairman.
▶ 1:50:04I'm trying to keep a lid on this. Members will ask questions. They know there's there are rules. You cannot attack other members. You cannot me questions can only be directed to me or or the witnesses. Witnesses will answer the questions. When a member reclaims their time, the witness should give back that time. Nobody should be going after anyone's character. That is not how we do things. We will get back on track here.
▶ 1:50:35Again, questions answer, questions answer. This is not the first time. We are we are going to keep the lid on this hearing today. If and when a member asks a question, they they get to ask their question. The witness gets to answer it. They can't direct how the witness answers it. They can reclaim their time. They cannot tell the witness what to say. The witness is here and gets to answer the question uh that is asked.
▶ 1:51:01If the if the member does not like the answer and wants to get another question in before their time is expired, they can reclaim their time and I will enforce that. But they can't be they can't be upset and I don't want people talking over each other. That has been happening quite a lot today. So again, rules of decorum. Members will ask questions. Witnesses will will answer the question. The member doesn't like if they want to get on to something else, they can reclaim their time.
▶ 1:51:32Mr. Mr. Chairman, the only point I'm trying to make is the witness is interrupting the members in the midst of asking their question
▶ 1:51:43and just direct the witness just hold whatever he is has to say
▶ 1:51:49until the question is asked, not interrupt the question as yes and I understand that and I think what the secretary was doing there was just pointing out that he was familiar with the case with the answer and I think he did clear that up but of course questions asked. answered. So everybody, we're going to move forward now. I now recognize the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Crane, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 1:52:13Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, uh, Mr. Secretary, for coming. We've had a lot of names of uh, people thrown out in this committee hearing so far. I want to throw out some names myself, and I don't expect you to know these names. Uh, secret, Mr.
▶ 1:52:27Secretary Maryanne Mendoza, Doug and Patricia Quitz, Steve Ronbeck, Fernardo Baserto, Shannon Estus, Patty Karen Griffin, Anne Fun Funner, I know you don't know these names, um, but myself and Congressman Biggs, we spent about two and a half hours with these Angel families last week in Arizona with uh, the drugs are Sarah Carter And these stories
▶ 1:52:58were shocking and they were horrific. And I'm just interested. I find it I find it so sad and curious why my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are so concerned with living conditions, food, and safety of illegal aliens, but they never seem to care or bring up these angel families and the fact that their loved ones are no longer with us. um they don't get to eat food anymore.
▶ 1:53:27Their living conditions don't matter anymore because they're gone. They're dead. And the saddest thing to me, Mr. Secretary, and talking to them, and this is what broke all of their hearts, was that in every single one of these cases, um their family members should be alive and it was completely Mr.
▶ 1:53:50Secretary, do you find it interesting that in the past Democrats have supported border security and barriers like Democrats like Obama, Clinton, Schumer voted for in 2006 for the Secure Our Fence Act. They also supported enhanced barriers in 2013 immigration bills. Do you find it interesting that the Democrat party has shifted away from helping protect the
▶ 1:54:23Unfortunately, what we continue to see is political theater uh because the far-left base is where they demand them to be. Uh and it has nothing to do with the living conditions and if you if you would permit me here, Congressman, I just want to sorry, point out a couple of things about Delaney versus uh the state penitentiies in New Jersey. in Delaney. Um, you're are in the state penitentiatories in New Jersey. You're two times more likely to die in New Jersey state facil facilities than you are in Delaney. We have two times the amount of space in Delaney.
▶ 1:54:52So, when they say it's overcrowded, that's not accurate. We have two times as much more space than they do in the state penitentiies in New Jersey. Uh, we have two times the medical personnel uh based on individuals that are in the Delaney versus the state penitentiies. when you start talking about horrible conditions in the northern state prison penitentiary, the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, and in the New Jersey State Prison, uh they have horrible conditions. Let me just talk about this Garden State Youth Correction Facility.
▶ 1:55:22They received citations for filthy K conditions in the kitchen, standing water, rodent and insect infestation, and expired for fire extinguishers. in um in Northern State Penitentiary, you they have multiple violations for continuing flooding, raw sewage, wastewater spillage, and uh lack of temperature control that they've never fixed. Not one of these individuals have ever protested about what's happened in their own state yard or backyard.
▶ 1:55:50Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Um it was interesting because several of my colleagues earlier on in this hearing brought up DHS supporting white nationalism. Do you remember a couple
▶ 1:56:03Pointing that out. And then you actually brought up something, you know, you you said you asked one of my colleagues if he had endorsed the Senate candidate candidate from Maine, Mr. Platner, I believe his name is, who was a Nazi sympathizer. I I actually looked it up. He had not endorsed that individual, but certain members of Congress had. Um, and I'm going to read those names for you.
▶ 1:56:28Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ruben Ggo, and Martin Heinrich, and Roana have all endorsed um this Senate candidate from Maine. Do you find it interesting that all these accusations and targets of DHS and white nationalism are being targeted at you, yet their party continues to support this Nazi sympathizer running in Maine?
▶ 1:56:53It's hypocritical at best.
▶ 1:56:55Thank you. Yeah, that's that's what I thought. I want to move on to uh tunnels real quick. Um I know my time's running out. You guys just discovered a big tunnel. Um what are you guys doing to make sure that the cartels aren't going underground since we've done a good job in stopping a lot of what they're trying to send through the ports of entry and at the ports themselves.
▶ 1:57:17As you know, this is the first tunnel that was um discovered in many years. We're deploying technology all around there for this because we see that they're force we're forcing them underground because of President Trump's
▶ 1:57:29Gentleman yields back. Now recognize the gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss MacGyver, for 5 minutes of questions.
▶ 1:57:35Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, um I ask unanimous consent to enter the SOS letter signed by 300 plus detainees of Delaney Hall into record.
▶ 1:57:44Without objection.
▶ 1:57:45Thank you so much. Secretary Mullen, have you ever had a visit to Delaney Hall for oversight visit?
▶ 1:57:51No, I have not.
▶ 1:57:52Thank you. The Department of Homeland Security was meant to safeguard the people, our homeland, and our values with the legal obligation to observe the basic human right and due process for everyone on US soil. We have seen former administrations support transparency and cooperate with congressional oversight. Unfortunately, Trump and his administration are doing the exact opposite.
▶ 1:58:16This is a humanitarian crisis happening in my district at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Norc, New Jersey. We're talking about North, New Jersey, Delaney Hall Detention Center. Recently, more than 300 detainees sent an SOS letter about the torturous conditions they face inside. After that letter, detainees went on a hunger strike to protest spoil rotten food, lack of medical care, and violent and unsanitary conditions. I have spoken to these people.
▶ 1:58:44I have seen these conditions with my own eyes. Detainees and their families have told me that the food served inside Delaney Hall is green and rotten, even containing live worms. They report that shower walls are covered in black mold and that toilets are backed up in what can only be described as an overflowing sewage. They are not given adequate cleaning supplies and they are told that they must use paper towels and their own toothbrushes sometimes to try to get the facility to a safe level of cleanliness.
▶ 1:59:15Detainees and their families also share horrific accounts of being dumped into solitary confinement cells after surgery for medical observation and remaining there for months without any actual medical care. They are three there are three detainees currently right now at Delaney trapped in this medical isolation right now. Sometimes when I visit no doctor is present. No doctor. When the doctor has been there they have known almost nothing about their patients care.
▶ 1:59:46There were pregnant women in there without getting any OB/GYN care that the doctor didn't even know where they go for outside services. Tragically, two pregnant women miscarried after their emergencies were dismissed as psychological frenzies by GGO staff. Additionally, when they tell members of Congress about these conditions, when they participate in hunger strikes, when they try to seek help, they face retaliation in this facility and from ICE.
▶ 2:00:16Communication access is revoked, visitations are cut, and even worse, things happen to them. Instead of addressing these inhumane conditions and attempting to solve them, this administration has chosen to weaponize DHS to cover up the abuses. Thankfully, Secretary Mullen, you are here today to answer some of these questions that my colleagues have.
▶ 2:00:38The Department of Homeland Security issued official statements calling the hunger strike a complete fabrication while quietly while quietly transferring 15 women from Delaney Hall to a facil facility in Louisiana soon after the hunger strike began along with other detainees. They were transferred. One of those women transferred is a victim of medical neglect who miscarried. I will continue to say his name as well. 41-year-old Jean Wilson Brutus.
▶ 2:01:08He died within 24 hours of entering an ICE custody at Delaney Hall. And ICE passed his death off as natural causes. And even as a family member and even as family members and civil rights groups practiced their constitutional right to peacefully protest, federal agents tased, pepper-sprayed, and put them under arrest.
▶ 2:01:30Inside Delaney, officers beat detainees in unit 2A and 2B, pepper- sprrayed them, and proceeded to cut off their communication with family and their attorneys by placing them under lockdown. Secretary Mullen, unit 2A and 2B. Hopefully, you're taking notes.
▶ 2:01:47This department has doubled down on partisan showmanship as well, even threatening to stop the processing of international flights in cities like mine in New York because they don't like that Americans are protesting inhumane conditions and demanding oversight and accountability. This is not a matter of politics. The American people are concerned by what they hear and and are unwilling to give their hard own tax dollars to what is happening.
▶ 2:02:14Lastly, Secretary Mullen, you talk about racist racism a lot in today's hearing. You know what's racist is the fact that every detainee in Delaney Hall is a person of color. The cruelty runs to the top of DHS weaponizing the immigration system for your president in this administration racist grievances. With that, I yield
▶ 2:02:37Gentle lady yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. Loa, for five minutes of questions. Thank you, Chairman. Uh, thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here and for your leadership and all your hard work to help secure our awesome homeland. Uh, I know, Mr.
▶ 2:02:50Secretary, that your short tenure as Homeland Security Secretary, you fought hard to ensure our people have the resources they need to do their jobs in light of the DHS shutdowns, you've properly advocated for our people, that they receive compensation for their hard work so they can keep our homeland safe. And I want to thank you for your efforts there. Along those lines, Mr. Secretary, I want to talk about the housing allowances afforded to our Coast Guard personnel.
▶ 2:03:16Uh, my Long Island district is home to several Coast Guard equities, including Sector Field Office Meritius, Marine Safety Unicorum, AIDS Navigation Team, Maricious, Station Eaton's Neck, Station Shinik, and Station MTOK. Uh, several of those bases, Mr. Secretary, on the Hamptons. This isn't a trick question, Mr. Secretary, but what comes to your mind when you think of the Hamptons?
▶ 2:03:41Yes, sir.
▶ 2:03:43not a trick question.
▶ 2:03:44I can't afford.
▶ 2:03:45What is it?
▶ 2:03:46Some place I can't afford.
▶ 2:03:47That's That's the right answer. Um would you be surprised to hear, Mr. Secretary, that the housing allowance afforded to Coast Guard personnel stationed in the Hamptons is the same. The housing allowance there is the same in the Hamptons as the amount afforded to those who were stationed in more affordable middle-class bluecollar neighborhoods elsewhere on Long Island. Is that a surprise to you that those two allowances are the same?
▶ 2:04:13Uh it well yeah it is but it isn't because we have talked to the comedon about this we're looking at doing a pay raise across the across the force by 7%. We're looking at the housing too. The comedon has made this an issue because unfortunately a lot of places where the Coast Guard has been for many many years it's beautiful area and um communities have grown up around it which has put a strain on on housing. So, we got to bring back um Coastg Guard housing and make it affordable.
▶ 2:04:39We're going to talk about Coastgard housing in a few minutes, Mr. Secretary, and my staff is coming with a map in a moment. Um the disparity, the lack of Coast Guard personnel to afford to live in the areas they protect has caused many of them to live far away from their duty stations. Good. Here, the map, as you can see, Mr.
▶ 2:04:59secretary shows that some of our coasties stationed on the south fork of Long Island and Montalk in particular have to live a good hour and 40 minutes one way almost uh 3 hours round trip sometimes four hours round trip with uh bad summer traffic. They're in their cars 4 hours a day simply to live in a place that they can afford because they can't afford to live based on the current housing allowance structure where they're stationed. Uh the impact in my mind, Mr.
▶ 2:05:29Secretary, is twofold. First, their own quality of life. This is time spent away from their families. This is time on the roads. This is some folks showing up to work a very important job fatigued because they have to be in that car for two hours. Second, as it relates more directly to the mission, it's a harm to recruiting that I've heard in my couple of years of visiting these bases that a lot of coasties don't want to take orders to some of these Coast Guard stations because they can't afford to live there.
▶ 2:05:59Their kids can't go to the local schools. They have to go far away and the recruiting efforts uh are damaged. And when we don't get the best coasties on Long Island, the the mission gets degraded. So my question, Mr. secretary is can you help us Long Islanders resolve this issue?
▶ 2:06:16Uh we are we're working on it. President Trump has made it a mission to reinvest uh in the force focus uh for 2028. He's investing $24 billion into the Coast Guard. First president to do that in in decades to take an emphasis on there. I the only way we're going to actually be able to fix it is we're going to have to build housing. It's going to be very difficult to fluctuate the the
▶ 2:06:40Let me let me ask you about housing as my one minute time starts to wind down. Right now, there's a Coast Guard property. I don't expect that you know all the different Coastg Guard properties throughout the nation. There's a Coastg Guard property in my district at West Hampton Beach. It's not a small property. It includes 24 units, two single family homes, an office, a workshop facility. It was initially built in in 1977, but we're going to sell it. I don't oppose uh the premise of selling it, but the question I have relates to what we do with the funds afterwards.
▶ 2:07:08I've asked some folks in and around the government. What are we going to do with the money once we uh divest ourselves of this very valuable piece of property? And the answer I've gotten so far, Mr. Secretary, is they're just going to put into a national fund and figure out what to do with those dollars uh nationally. I I've presented, Mr. Secretary, a very regional, a very localized problem that has a lot to do with money. We're gonna cash out on this property. I don't oppose the cashing out. My request to you, Mr.
▶ 2:07:35Secretary, is can you commit to when we dispose of that property and get money for it that we keep those dollars regionally so we don't exacerbate an existing problem? You've said that we need more housing. Let's reinvest those dollars more locally so we don't have complicated existing problem.
▶ 2:07:53We we will we'll try we'll look into that. I do understand the situation that we have here because it it's very costly because environmental impacts we have in that area to develop it because we're going to have to basically tear tear down those buildings and rebuild it. Uh but I I would think it only makes sense to reinvest in in housing.
▶ 2:08:10Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Appreciate your leadership, sir.
▶ 2:08:13Gentlemen yields back. I now recognize the gentle lady from Texas, Miss Johnson, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 2:08:17Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, and Mr. Secretary. Thank you for being here today. Um, DHS personal uh personnel carry enormous responsibilities every single day. DSA officers protect our transportation systems. FEMA personnel respond when communities are devastated by floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. Cyber security and counterterrorism professionals work around the clock to identify threats before Americans are harmed.
▶ 2:08:41These public servants should be empowered to focus on these missions, not forced to operate inside a department increasingly consumed by political agendas and headline driven decision-making. Serious operational failures continue to mount at the Department of Homeland Security under this administration. We've seen individuals with lawful legal status being wrongfully detained or deported despite having authorization to remain in the United States. We've seen repeated allegations of detainees being denied adequate medical care and in some cases dying while in federal custody.
▶ 2:09:12Secretary Mullen, Americans are now looking to your leadership to determine whether this department can return to its mission it was originally created to fulfill. They want to know what steps you are taking to restore professionalism within DHS. Improve oversight of detention facilities, prevent further deaths in federal custody, stop the wrongful deportation of individuals with legal status, eliminate political interference inside FEMA, improve training and operational standards for enforcement personnel, and ensure that disaster response decisions are driven by
▶ 2:09:42urgency and public safety rather than bureaucracy and politics. To highlight some of the incompetence we've seen over the past year, I want to take a moment to quote directly from the final report which was released earlier this month issued by pres the president's own FEMA review council under the Trump administration. This report was not written by Democrats. This was your administration's own assessment of FEMA. And frankly, the report reads like a broader indictment of how this agency has been allowed to deteriorate over the past year.
▶ 2:10:12The report states that FEMA acknowledges concerns about staffing sufficiency, disaster response delays, and operational shortcomings that have weakened FEMA's disaster response capabilities. Americans of my home state saw the consequences of those failures during Texas floods, and overwhelmed systems, staffing concerns, and response delays left families waiting for help during one of the worst disasters in our recent history.
▶ 2:10:34So frankly, I think you and this administration should spend less time turning DHS into a political messaging operation and more time focused on fixing these failures. Mr. Secretary, I was sitting here listening to my colleagues and I too have a line of questions about a gentleman in my one of my constituents that died in DHS custody and I too have letters written to DHS that have been unresponded to. This seems to be a pattern in practice.
▶ 2:11:02Um, in fairness to you, a lot of it was from your predecessor, but we as members of Congress deserve timely responses to our inquiries when we have constituents that have had um, you know, terrible outcomings with your agency. And I heard you say earlier that you're committed to do that, and I hope that's true for the letters that my office have sent you on multiple occasions um, relating to a death of Mr. Pakawali.
▶ 2:11:29He was a 41-year-old husband and father who was part of the brought here on the Afghan evac program. He served alongside our men and women in military in Afghanistan and was brought here because he was his life was deemed in danger if he remained due to his service to our military men and women and he was detained and dead 24 hours later.
▶ 2:11:50I think he and his family and this country and the Afghan community who've risked their lives to help our men and women in the military deserve an answer as to what happened. And I've sent multiple letters and I'm here again and I asked your predecessor if she would respond. She told me she would. She did not. Now I'm asking you, can you please get me a response to what happened to Mr. Pakawali in your
▶ 2:12:15can you is it possible that we can get a copy of that letter just so we can find it? There was a lot of stuff that's been hard to find.
▶ 2:12:22And and I don't think I I may be wrong, but I don't think we received that letter since I've been in office.
▶ 2:12:27I will be happy to rescend it to you.
▶ 2:12:29Thank you.
▶ 2:12:29Um because we have asked on multiple occasions, you know, it's not normal for a 41-year-old uh to be detained uh taking his kids to school and to be dead in your custody 24 hours later. That's not a a normal natural course of events.
▶ 2:12:44Um, and I think we all deserve an answer as to what happened and a a comprehensive review because we've had just in this one hearing, sir, three members of Congress have had three constituents die after being in DHS custody in a very relatively for 24 hours or a few days or whatever.
▶ 2:13:04And this is part of the problem with why the American people are so frustrated because these events happen that should not happen and there's no accountability and there's no transparency as to the cause and what happened and no assurances that they're going to stop in the future. And I'm so sorry I just ran out of time. I yield back.
▶ 2:13:23Gentle lady yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from gentle lady from South Carolina, Miss Bigs, for five minutes questions.
▶ 2:13:32Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Secretary Mullen, for being here today. In January of 2025, President Trump issued an executive order number 14157 formally designating cartels and other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorist.
▶ 2:13:57This was a consequential action and one that fundamentally reframes how the federal government must approach the threat these groups pose. These are sophisticated, violent, ideologically motivated organizations that control territory. They weaponize human beings and deliberately target the vulnerable and those of on our borders um only to advance operations inside the United States.
▶ 2:14:28The FTO designations created by Executive Order 14157 are legal tools with operational consequences and I want to understand how DHS is using them. With that framing in mind, I want to ask you directly, how has the Department of Homeland Security used these new tools to protect Americans from terrorist cartels?
▶ 2:14:53And have these tools help the Department cartel linked criminals and seize their money and assets and break up their networks here in the United States.
▶ 2:15:05Thank you so much. um through CBP and HSTF uh and the partnership with uh with the Mexican government, we've seen record amount of seizures, of drug seizures, uh money seizures, weapon seizures, and plus the arrest of these cartel leaders. It they are highly sophisticated. They're highly organized, too. Every single inch of our southern border and Mexico's northern border is controlled by nine separate cartels. And they call them plazas.
▶ 2:15:34and they have plaza bosses in every single one of them. Majority of those plaza bosses uh well actually every single one of them. We know who they are. We're actually searching for them. We're actually arresting them and we're constantly leaning in towards the threat. We've seen uh drug seizures go up and availability of drugs in our cities go down. Uh fortunately, we've seen fentanyl uh deaths go down, but we they're way way too high. That's all the pressure that we continue to pour into it.
▶ 2:16:02That's because of President Trump's leadership and the the the war that uh that we have waged against the cartels and the poisoning of our streets and our cities uh in the amount of criminal activity that's taken place. Every single order the president has put in place has caused these cartels to squeeze and because we see we took the human trafficking away which was a multi multi-billion dollar industry that was stood up underneath the Biden administration has went away. They started pushing harder on the drugs. We saw the narco boats.
▶ 2:16:31We started attacking, they started we started attacking the the trafficking lanes on the on their borders. Now we're seeing them go underground. We're putting in that technology. Uh but we need more partnership and we I just recently returned from Mexico City speaking with the uh uh with President Shyam and her cabinet about the cooperation and I will tell you we've been impressed. They have been very cooperative, way more cooperative than the last administration, but they still believe in their sovereignty and we have to respect that.
▶ 2:17:01Well, thank you so much for your efforts. I know there has been a lot done, but we still have a lot of work to do. I I represent a district that covers between Atlanta and Charlotte on Interstate 85, and we have seen trafficking of drugs and people, as a matter of fact,
▶ 2:17:20huge trafficking cord uh human trafficking corridor right there as you you're aware of.
▶ 2:17:25Absolutely. and we were in district this this week, this past week working and I met with one of my constituents who just recently lost his wife to a fentanil overdose and um people are still crying out and it's still a huge problem and we should have never gotten to this point and thank you and thank you to your staff for all of their efforts and stopping this.
▶ 2:17:52Thank you so much. A staggering statistic I learned uh yesterday from Senator Hagerty was that uh they've had 41 deaths in Tennessee uh that is directly related to uh illegals in this country. Um that's part of the problem with the human trafficking. The drugs are a second problem. Every death that comes from illegal drugs come in the country or from someone that was entered in this country illegally is one too many. It should never happen.
▶ 2:18:17Absolutely. And it's hard to sit here and hear about the negativity and pointing the finger at ICE agents when I can tell you over and over individuals in my district that have been impacted by illegals who've taken the lives of so many people and it's unfortunate that we turn our head to that. Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 2:18:39Gentle lady yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from Puerto Rico, Mr. Hernandez, for five minutes of
▶ 2:18:43Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, FEMA has failed Puerto Rico. We're three months away from the 9th anniversary of Hurricane Maria, and there's still over $24 billion left to disperse. According to a Rand report, at the current pace, the reconstruction projects won't be finished until 201. Basically, after my newborn baby graduates from college and when he is probably graduating from grad school.
▶ 2:19:14This is not by accident. This is by design. There's an inspector general report that says that inadequate technical assistance and guidance from FEMA is responsible for the slow dispersement of funds. The Trump administration is largely responsible for this failure. Christine Noah made things a lot worse.
▶ 2:19:34She had acted she enacted a stupid, ridiculous, absurd policy that anything over $100,000 had to be signed off by her that blocked over $2 billion for Puerto Rico. Secretary Mullen, I believe you rescended that policy. Do you agree that it was a bad policy?
▶ 2:19:56People have different leadership styles. That's not my leadership style. Uh I believe empowering people. Uh
▶ 2:20:02it's a yes or no question. Do you agree it was a bad policy? It's not personal.
▶ 2:20:05It wasn't my decision. I'm just saying I just managed different.
▶ 2:20:08Well, you decided to resend the policy,
▶ 2:20:10If you hire different managers for different parts of the country.
▶ 2:20:12I think we agree it was a bad policy. Thank you. Would you support legislation to make sure that policy doesn't get reinstated? Would you support legislation to
▶ 2:20:23enact your leadership preference that
▶ 2:20:26I no longer make the policy you guys do? I will enact whatever you guys pass.
▶ 2:20:30And and would you be supportive of that? You have a policy. You're here.
▶ 2:20:33It's not my It's not my place to lean in on the policy. I just want to get my agency funded. That's it.
▶ 2:20:37Okay. I think you do lean in on policy a lot. You're doing it today constantly.
▶ 2:20:42I think you should uh I have a bill called the disaster without delay act. Sorry. I reclaim my time. I reclaim my time. My bill, the disaster aid without delay act would do just that. And I hope my colleagues join in co-sponsoring it. Now, Mr. Mr. Mullen, on February 20th, after meeting with our governor, Christine Noan fired FEMA's Puerto Rico recovery coordinator, Andres Garcia Martino. On May 20th, 3 months later, we found out he was reinstated. Why was he
▶ 2:21:10I was the one that fired him. I don't
▶ 2:21:12Why was he reinstated?
▶ 2:21:14Well, we're looking for good people to be put in place, and people have different ideas. I reinstated several people in court, including my deputy secretary that sitting beside me. So, is it is it common to fire and rehire people at DHS right now?
▶ 2:21:27No, I think people have different management styles.
▶ 2:21:29Is that good for the agency stability?
▶ 2:21:31You want me to answer the question?
▶ 2:21:34I mean, if you ask me a question, I'm willing to answer. I don't want to talk over you.
▶ 2:21:37Okay. But is it is it good for the uh offic's stability to be firing and
▶ 2:21:41You have different management styles and that's just common in any business or government. When you have bring in different leadership, they have different management styles and they look at things differently because they may rep prioritize their roles. Okay?
▶ 2:21:51And that's what we did. Uh, since I'm running out of time, Mr. Mullen, are you familiar with core 3?
▶ 2:21:57Did you say core three?
▶ 2:21:59I don't I don't know if I am or not,
▶ 2:22:01Okay. It's a central office for recovery, reconstruction, and resiliency that manages FEMA funds for Puerto Rico. The largest amount in in history. So, a month ago, Core 3 announced that FEMA approved an extension for the period of performance for almost 600 disaster reconstruction projects in Puerto Rico. Are you familiar with the term period of performance? Yeah. So, do you support a blanket extension of the completion deadline for all projects in Puerto Rico until 2035?
▶ 2:22:27I don't. And unfortunately, sir, I' I've got a great relationship with your governor there. I think she's absolutely
▶ 2:22:32and she's proposed that. It's something that I think we should all support.
▶ 2:22:34Yes. And I and we have talked multiple times. Unfortunately, we found with rebuilding this grid and the first goound and including through the Biden administration is a lot of the funds that we were awarded through FEMA just wasn't getting to where they need to go. and why the millions of dollars have been spent. You couldn't see the progression like you would here inside the states.
▶ 2:22:54You had to stop and say, "Listen, there must be fraud going on or or they're incapable of doing it themselves."
▶ 2:22:59And let me reclaim my time, and I appreciate that answer.
▶ 2:23:02It's the government of Puerto Rico who's been administering these funds during the past 9 years since the hurricane happened. So, would you say that this fraud is occurring under those governments of Puerto Rico?
▶ 2:23:11No, no, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that we're putting in safeguards. We're really looking at the program to make sure that it is used for its intended purpose and not have the broad uh abuse that it could take place the way it was.
▶ 2:23:22Then do you have a lot of proof of
▶ 2:23:25Do you have proof of the abuse?
▶ 2:23:26Well, we're still looking into that. According to the last
▶ 2:23:29We don't want to I'm sorry, but I'm running out of time. We don't want to wait more. We've waited too long. At the current pace, it's going to have You're going to make us wait until 20. Your agency is responsible for this problem. Your agency is responsible for fixing
▶ 2:23:43responsible for the failed system, sir. The failed system of Puerto Rico was
▶ 2:23:47Your agency should do more to make sure the reconstruction of Puerto Rico is finished in a timely manner. Thank you. And I'm out of time.
▶ 2:23:54Gentleman yields back. I now recognize gentleman from Colorado, Mr. Evans, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 2:23:59Thank you, Chairman, ranking member, and of course to the secretary for coming today. Uh, and thanks to uh the new administration and Republicans in Congress, the border is secure and our homeland safer. Unfortunately, in places like Colorado, sanctuary states and sanctuary cities and their soft on crime uh policies are continuing to endanger communities. In Colorado and Denver today, homicides in Denver are up 50% compared to this time last year.
▶ 2:24:25Colorado's got 2% of the nation's population, but 10% of the human trafficking in Colorado. And we're one of only a handful of states in the country where overdose death rates are going back up again. And so, Mr. Secretary, we know who's responsible for a lot of that. It's the cartels, the foreign terrorist organizations, the organized criminal enterprises. And that's why I support policies to identify and dismantle these organizations that are bringing death and poison into our communities. Um, and so my question to you is, uh, Mr.
▶ 2:24:55Secretary, uh, you mentioned it earlier, deporting the worst of the worst. How are you prioritizing immigration enforcement resources on these terrorist criminals, drug dealers, gangbangers, and how are sanctuary policies impeding your efforts? Sir, uh there's a couple answers in this one. Uh first of all, the 287G program where we partner with local uh law enforcement uh and state law enforcement really helps put the pressure on on these illegals.
▶ 2:25:22It's where we reimburse a local community, the state uh for equipment, for hours that they put in to help go after the worst of the worst. We don't see that cooperation in and um in in throughout Colorado because of Governor Polus' policies. We also have a huge issue with the lack banking policies in the state banking system with the drug trafficking. It creates a safe haven for moneyaundering to take place uh throughout Colorado and we see some of the worst places in Denver.
▶ 2:25:50Uh when you do that, you encourage that kind of behavior. When you become a sanctuary city, you don't just become a sanctuary city where you're housing criminals, but that criminal activity pushes out from that state uh into surrounding states and surrounding areas and you attract more of that criminal activity because the individuals feel like they're safe in there. They don't have to worry about local law enforcement looking at them because they're a sanctuary city. They know they'll be pulled over and be released.
▶ 2:26:14Um even when we ask for retainer on some of these individuals that have serious criminal uh backgrounds, they release them constantly. And I know it's not the state uh the state police or the local law enforcement. They want to do their job. It's the local officials and your governor that's handcuffing them from bail to enforce the rule of law.
▶ 2:26:32Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I wish we could have 287g programs in Colorado, but uh ruling Democrats explicitly outlawed those. Um we've talked before, you know, I was a cop in the Denver metro area for a little bit over a decade. um sergeant lieutenant. So, not only you know was my responsibility to get the bad guys, but it was to preserve those professional standards uh within the agency and make sure we're following the law.
▶ 2:26:53And so, during your confirmation, um I was very pleased to hear you say that uh under um your um how you run the department uh that ICE would need judicial warrants unless there were some of the accepted uh the exceptions, but they would need judicial warrants to go into homes uh to make arrests the same way I needed when I was a cop. Can you just talk very briefly about how you're implementing that requirement uh in the in the department?
▶ 2:27:20Yes. If we're going to be entering a business or a house and we're not in pursuit uh currently after the individual, we want a judicial warrant to go and there is two things that happens, right? It covers the officer that's walking in the door just in case something takes place. Um it also assures us that we have the authority to do so what we what we what is deemed necessary to to get the f fugitive we're after. So, we want to make sure we have cover, but there is exceptions.
▶ 2:27:45Um, the administrative warrant can be administrated if the individual is avoiding us by running through places of business, running into an apartment complex, uh, going through a door. We feel like they're a danger. We've got to enter in there. We We don't have time to stop. If we're going to knock on your door at 3:00 in the morning, though, we'll have a judicial warrant.
▶ 2:28:01Glad to hear it. There's Supreme Court approved exceptions to the judicial warrant. You got to learn them in police academy. It sounds like that's exactly what you're referring to. um you know, exigency, fresh pursuit, things like that. Final question to you. I got a lot of constituents in my district, farm workers, youth ministers, nurses, uh grocery store business managers. They've been living and working legally in the US for decades with visas.
▶ 2:28:24Um but because Biden threw the borders open and flooded the immigration system, um a lot of these folks that are legal are having trouble renewing their visas. And so, uh, would love to work with you to be able to find ways to help expedite, uh, these approvals so that we can keep the American economy, uh, working and keep those employers working. Last 15 seconds to you.
▶ 2:28:46We would applaud any assistance you could give us. Any assistance that Congress could give us by passing new policies to help help us streamline this would be wonderful. Um, but unfortunately, we haven't upgraded our immigration, you know, true legislation since 1959, and it needs to be updated today. I'm out of time. Yield back. Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Poe, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 2:29:09Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, and thank you, uh, Secretary Mullen, for being here. Let me just begin real quickly by following up on something that you was recently that you've recently stated. Recently uh it was indicated that you had threatened to have your department pull customs custom agents from Norc Liberty airport among other airports.
▶ 2:29:36The idea that thousands of international travelers around in the around arriving in the United States for the World Cup could be turned around at the airport is not only obscured but reckless and dangerous.
▶ 2:29:49That is why a broad coalition of uh industry groups including the chamber of commerce uh the US travel association and the airlines for America are strongly opposing your plan noting that it will cause chaos for travelers flights and our economy while also posing safety risk. Um today Mr.
▶ 2:30:13Uh, Secretary, would you commit to not pulling any custom officers at Norc International Airport?
▶ 2:30:22Ma'am, first of all, I want to thank you. You've been sitting in front of me this whole time. Your demeanor has been u very plight and I do appreciate that. That speaks a lot about someone. Uh, my whole purpose of having to flex with personnel was because prior to the Governor Cheryl allowing the state police and local police to respond, they were saying they didn't have the resources. We were having officers get bit, get uh hit. We were having employees have a hard time getting in and out of work. Their their employ their vehicles are getting damaged. Federal vehicles are getting damaged.
▶ 2:30:52And what we had to do is priorit prioritize our resources. So, as long as they're still cooperating, which they are, and it worked out great when the federal when the state police showed up and local police showed up and started taking control of their streets, we can we can secure our building, but when we got to make ways for our employees to get in and out of work because their vehicles are getting damaged, they're getting threatened. We have to prioritize our
▶ 2:31:12secretary. I'm so sorry. I know. I
▶ 2:31:14I'm just trying to answer your question.
▶ 2:31:16No, no. I appreciate it. Sounds to me like you're agreeing that you will not be pulling any of the officers from the internet from the New York International Airport. So long as the two uh entities are able to work and it appears as though that there is cooperation being
▶ 2:31:33As long as the cooperation continues.
▶ 2:31:35Thank you so very much. I just want to just I'm not trying to be rude. Just want to make sure that I get an opportunity to ask the other questions. As you know, last week um I conducted a visit to uh Delaney Hall. Uh this was an oversight of a rogue facility that should in my opinion be shut down. What I witnessed was shocking. Delaney Hall cannot provide the basic need of human beings being held there.
▶ 2:32:02It is a stain on New Jersey and on our country. Detainees are being given given moldy bread and lunch meat. In fact, while I was there, that was clearly shown to me where there was actual mold on the lunch meat. Uh those are the kind of food that they are being served. Uh food with worms and and absolutely filthy water. Um they are not receiving adequate medical care.
▶ 2:32:31Let me just ask uh Mr. secretary. When the New Jersey Department of uh health arrived to uh examine commissions, they were initially turned away. They were later allowed to enter only into the kitchen and nowhere else. Not any of the medical bays, not the sleeping areas, not bathrooms, nothing. That was absolutely unappropriate and it's a disgrace that they were not allowed.
▶ 2:32:59New Jersey continues to push for full access, but ICE and the GEO, please tell me otherwise, groups have refused. Can you commit to get granting New Jersey Department of Health full access? Can we get your cooperation to the facility to ensure basic sanitary conditions that are being met? We allow
▶ 2:33:22we allow them to enter the facility and inspect the areas that they are contracted and legally able to to inspect. Not all the depending because it is a federal location. Not all state specters have access to it. There is federal inspectors. But let me point out that not one single fine this year has been given to Delaney. Uh yet in your own state penitentiies, they have over 8,000 complaints because of medical conditions, because of sleeping conditions, because of facility conditions that's filed annually with a state penitentiary. We don't even touch that.
▶ 2:33:52There's been 333 in Delaney. I would say we probably need to spend as much time looking at their state penitentiary as doainy. But Delaney is a political topic. It's not it's not
▶ 2:34:00No, no. I I don't want to make it a polit. We're talking about, we're not talking about individuals that have had their due process and were sentenced to go to jail in a correction facility. We're talking about people who are detained, have yet not to be proven, given the opportunity for due process in order for them to be granted one pos one decision or the other. Very, very different situation that we're talking about here. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 2:34:29Uh, chairman, I yield back. Gentle lady yields back and I recognize the gentleman from North Carolina.
▶ 2:34:36Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Uh, just a point of reference, I believe it was President Obama who opened up an ICE facility at Delaney Hall. So, your point is well taken. This is strictly political. It's strictly political and I think that that your agency is doing quite well when one of my Democrat colleagues just complained that an illegal immigrant subject to deportation uh had a legitimate complaint that he was not being served ethnic food.
▶ 2:35:00that was stated just across the aisle to you that we need to provide a menu service for their ethnic food before they are deported. I find it just staggering. And what's most staggering about this, Mr. Secretary, is that unchecked mass migration obviously transforms our country for the worse. We saw that over the last five to six years, the the Biden open border. It was felt in every pillar, every every corner of our country, but it remains integral to the Democrats and their policies. They're still defending it.
▶ 2:35:30They're still promoting it. They're still fighting for it. And uh when you look at the effects of it, it's very obvious that mass migration robs Americans of a whole lot. Of the American dream, of public safety, of good schools, of affordable healthcare. Mass will transform this country for the worse. Yet, they still defend it. And from where I sit, sir, I I don't know why they continue to defend it. But there's really only three reasons that someone would defend mass migration. The first big business wants cheap labor.
▶ 2:36:00The second nefarious political motivation starting with congressional aortionment and then with uh the mass amnesty voting block. And then second some type of twisted ideology that Americans owe the world free health care, free schooling, free housing on our soil. And I find every one of those justifications Thank you for your partnership in trying to get this problem under control.
▶ 2:36:29And I want to give you a chance to respond to some of the unbelievably slanderous accusations that you have been the recipient of at this hearing. First, that those who are resisting you in New Jersey and elsewhere in sanctuary jurisdictions, that they are peaceful protests. Your response?
▶ 2:36:49That's absolutely not accurate. And I think when the state police showed up with their um with their riot unit, by the way, uh phenomenal group of guys, [snorts] real professionals, uh they recognized really quick that these weren't peaceful protesters and they took action because of it. In fact, the next day they showed up with a bus to start arresting the individuals. And when we saw them respond with the cooperation with local government, we got the rioting, not protesting, we got the rioting under control.
▶ 2:37:16Yep. This is criminal activity. It's organized and it's funded by far-left agitators. Isn't that correct?
▶ 2:37:20We saw FIFA or not FIFA, sorry. Sorry, my guys. Um, we saw Antifa flags being uh flown. Uh, we were doing facial recognition out there. We saw individuals coming in from Portland that had organized uh those those riots and um and we were were in the process of tracing down the funding which was funding this writing, not protesting
▶ 2:37:43It's criminal. Secondly, one of the most disgusting but common accusations is that your agency exercises white supremacy. I'm a former federal prosecutor. I know that Border Patrol is a majority minority workforce. The agents for Border Patrol are majority minority, heavily occupied by Hispanic Americans, patriots. To say that they are white supremacists is disgusting. It's a lie and it's a politically motivated attack. Same thing with ICE officers.
▶ 2:38:12vastly overpop populated with minorities as opposed to the general population. Your response?
▶ 2:38:18Unfortunately, what we see is when the left can't argue actual factual points, they just move to racism and they and it's it's reck it's reckless and demeaning to all of our uh our federal employees throughout DI DHS. Uh and we have to stop it because it feeds into this narrative that you hear chanted all the time in these rights, not protest. I'm okay with protest. Sure,
▶ 2:38:40you have the right for the First Amendment, but you do it in a peaceful way in a legal area.
▶ 2:38:45That's right. If anything, sir, I would submit that we're being too tolerant to the riers who obstruct law enforcement from their duties.
▶ 2:38:51I have zero tolerance. If you verbally assault our officers, you go after our vehicles, you assault our property, uh you assault one of our officers, we will find you, we will arrest you.
▶ 2:39:00And lastly, I want you to to answer. The Democrats claimed to be they that they want to remove the worst of the worst. But in judiciary committee, we had a sanctuary prosecutor from Northern Virginia who campaigned on the fact that he was going to con consider immigration consequences before charging and before plea deals. He released murderers. He released pedophiles. He released violent criminals because they were going to be subject to deportation. It's disgusting. They are not working to remove the worst of the worst. They're not working with you to achieve that.
▶ 2:39:31your response.
▶ 2:39:32In Delanyia alone, over 35% or roughly 35% of the detainees have serious criminal records.
▶ 2:39:39Yep. But if you release the criminals, you can't get a conviction.
▶ 2:39:43That's right.
▶ 2:39:43It's a nefarious circle.
▶ 2:39:44That's right.
▶ 2:39:45There's a lot more to talk about. Thank you for your time, sir, and we're ready to help you in any way that we can.
▶ 2:39:49Thank you.
▶ 2:39:49I yield back.
▶ 2:39:50Gentleman yields back. Thank you very much. And I now recognize the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Walkenshaw, for five minutes of question.
▶ 2:39:56Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, do you recognize this?
▶ 2:40:00Actually, no, I don't.
▶ 2:40:02Okay. You stated that you have a different management style than Secretary Gnome. And when you started, there were reports saying that DHS DHS staff hoped that you could be the night in shining armor to repair the AY's reputation, which was damaged by your Uh, you mentioned earlier shutdowns and the impact that shutdowns have had on DHS. There's no question that's true.
▶ 2:40:29One of the things that the 2025 shutdown did not impact or slow down at DHS was the purchase of luxury jets. Your predecessor purchased two Gulfream and then later I think a Boeing 737 Max that they termed the big beautiful airplane during the shutdown. While [snorts] DHS staff were not getting paid, the Gulf Streams had special paint and cabin enhancements.
▶ 2:41:00The largest cabin of any Gulf Stream. This is the top-of-the-line Gulf Stream. An expert on private planes in the industry when asked about the purchase said it was quote bizarre and that quote these jets are normally associated with billionaires. You just said you can't afford to visit the Hamptons. Neither can I.
▶ 2:41:21Okay, I can afford
▶ 2:41:22Hold on. I haven't asked you a question. On April 17th, a spokesperson from your agency said, "Under new leadership, DHS is assessing all of our resources, including aircraft to maximize efficiency and that you, the secretary, 100% focused on ensuring the needs of our department are met while being the best possible steward of taxpayer dollars." That's April.
▶ 2:41:44On May 27th, it was reported that flight logs show that you have used one of the Gulf Streams to fly to Oklahoma, the $80 million Gulfream. Have you used the Gulfream jet to fly to Oklahoma? Mr.
▶ 2:42:00sir, under statute, I'm required uh to
▶ 2:42:03You use the G700. Okay. Thank you.
▶ 2:42:05No, no, no. You asked me a question, sir. Can I answer the question?
▶ 2:42:08You answered the question. You said
▶ 2:42:09No, I didn't. No, because
▶ 2:42:10reclaiming my time walking over an important fact answered the question.
▶ 2:42:15Again, we remember you get to ask questions. The witness gets to answer the question. By statute, I'm required.
▶ 2:42:21I'm familiar with the statute.
▶ 2:42:22Okay. Then you know why I have to fly a government plane.
▶ 2:42:26Uh and and so my family is in Oklahoma
▶ 2:42:29claiming my time. Mr. Chairman,
▶ 2:42:30I also like to reclaiming my time. It appears to me that you assessed the aircraft and your assessment is you really like flying on the Gulf Stream
▶ 2:42:42as a senator. As a senator,
▶ 2:42:44sir, you're making claiming my time, Mr.
▶ 2:42:47Questions and answers.
▶ 2:42:49I didn't ask a question. Okay.
▶ 2:42:51He's making a senator. Something you're chairman, are you going to control with or you're using?
▶ 2:42:55Suspend the clockman. Suspend the clock
▶ 2:42:59in the [clears throat] Senate.
▶ 2:43:00Hold on. Suspend the clock. Everything's suspended right now. Again, you have statement qu questions. Mr. Secretary, you can address the questions when there's a question. Members, as you know, we had some just read statements. If and if you if if when you have the time to answer and you want to say that something was not truthful, you can you can answer the But again, this is the member's time.
▶ 2:43:29We will let them use it uh as long as they do within the rules as as as as they see fit. When you are asked a question, you will be afforded the opportunity and the and the members should afford the member the other the witness the opportunity to answer the question. I do not want people This is This is when people are talking over each other, we're not actually getting to what we want to get to. So, let's try not to do that. I appreciate it.
▶ 2:43:55Uh we will add 10 seconds back on because I did I I I I did suspend and the clock kept running. Um again please Mr. Secretary if you get if if something that is said is not truthful you can address it but just wait for the question to be asked. Wait for the question to be asked and then you can address it.
▶ 2:44:14Question asked, sir. He's making accusations just because he's trying to make a still me. Still me. Still me.
▶ 2:44:20Doesn't make it fact. Just because
▶ 2:44:22still me. Everyone say everything I've said is a fact.
▶ 2:44:24That is not true.
▶ 2:44:25It is.
▶ 2:44:26It is not true.
▶ 2:44:26Excuse me.
▶ 2:44:27How do you think it's a truth?
▶ 2:44:29Factual because it's your opinion isn't
▶ 2:44:31I will I will we I don't want to be here all day, but we will I will adjourn this until everybody calms down. We will if something that is said is not truthful in a statement and the secretary wants to address when he's asked a question, he can say something was not truthful. He he can answer the question. You can ask it if you want to make your statement, you will make your But we will not talk over each other. And Mr.
▶ 2:44:59Secretary, if if if if you're not asked a question here and you want to address it when somebody asks you a question later, I'm sure some of the colleagues might allow that. But again, we are not going to be talking over each other. We have only a few more W uh questioners to go through. Let's let's finish this questions, answers. If it's a statement, that's fine. But again, let's not talk over each other.
▶ 2:45:30Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll share a fact. Uh Mr. Secretary, when you were in the Senate, you voted for the so-called big beautiful bill that blew up the deficit, trillions of dollars of deficit And some of that was used to buy the Gulf Streams. You are deficit riding on a Gulfream So, I want to give you the opportunity to answer a question.
▶ 2:45:59NBC News reported recently that the department was considering selling some of the luxury purchases that your predecessor made. And as you well know, I think or certainly your deputy knows, there are other jets that could meet the needs of the secretary. There's a Gulfream G280. I don't know whether that would meet your standards. Only $25 million, not $80 million.
▶ 2:46:27You have aircraft in the Coast Guard fleet. Folks who work for you are flying MA MH65, a helicopter. They've been flying it since 1984. But Secretary Gnomeman, you need a brand new shiny Gulfream G700.
▶ 2:46:44So my question for you is, will you commit today to sell the Gulf Streams, sell the big beautiful plane, the 737 Max, and put that money maybe into helping Mr. Lot's constituents who can barely get by on their housing allowance?
▶ 2:47:03Actually, those planes are inside the Coast Guard, so they were actually purchased for the Coast Guard. Will you sell the planes?
▶ 2:47:10Why do I need to sell them, sir? We need assets inside the Coast Guard just like the DO.
▶ 2:47:14So, you're you want to keep the Gulfream. You want to keep the 737 Max. You got to have top of the line.
▶ 2:47:21737 Max is actually detailed to the executive branch.
▶ 2:47:25Uh, and I have never seen it. Oh, actually, I seen it. I drove by it. I've never I've never
▶ 2:47:28Have you flown the Gulf Stream to
▶ 2:47:30Of course I have. I'm required to.
▶ 2:47:32All right. I yield back. Well, actually, I don't fly it personally myself because I'm not a pilot.
▶ 2:47:37Gentleman [clears throat] yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from California, Mr. Fong, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 2:47:47Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, thank you, Mr. Secretary. I want to congratulate you on your appointment. Uh, you're the right man for the job, and I look forward to working with you. I know as someone who represents Bakersfield, you have a personal relationship traveling with your son for some medical treatment. So, we just uh we just appreciate uh the you know, just you acknowledging uh I guess our our region. I want to give you some time to address any any questions that that you felt you didn't get to to answer.
▶ 2:48:11Well, I think what has failed to mention is by because of the continuity that I'm required to be in communication 24/7, 365 days a week. I cannot fly commercial. Uh I'm required by statute, the same as the Department of War, same thing as the Department of Justice, same thing as the vice president and the president. We have to be in communication at all times. So, if I'm going to go see my family, which my family lives in Oklahoma, um I'm required to take that. Uh if I had other means, I'd be happy to take it.
▶ 2:48:41But just like I did when I was in the Senate, I flew back and forth every weekend.
▶ 2:48:45Thank you. Um I want to to to as a as a Californian, we certainly are are uh concerned about the the planning for the World Cup as well as the LA the LA Olympics in 2028. um heightened threat environment. Um clearly the the the two uh homeland security shutdowns were uh not good and uh and certainly we as Republicans, we've been trying to give you the resources uh that you need.
▶ 2:49:10Um with that being said, these two international events will test every level of our homeland security operations. You know, as the secretary now, what are your top what are the top vulnerabilities that keep you up at night and what resources do you need to address these challenges? biggest concern I have is honestly with uh drone defense. Our countermeasures with drones is a is um I wouldn't say a vulnerability but it is it is one of the areas that we are struggling with every single day.
▶ 2:49:39Uh it when we start talking about the soft areas having great cooperation with local law enforcement is is vitally important to us. Soft areas are per are areas outside of our perimeter leading up to the perimeter. Um and and we rely heavily on that. We've asked uh for some uh governments or some uh I'm sorry, states to help with National Guard. They could use it for a training event if they wanted to in some of these weekends.
▶ 2:50:05Uh we have a lot of these cities are going to be doing every other day we'll have an event uh at their facility for uh weeks on end. It puts a strain on everybody and just the more police presence we have out there, the the uh the better we'll be.
▶ 2:50:22Thank you. And
▶ 2:50:24Congressman, can I address one more thing, too?
▶ 2:50:26By statute, I'm also required to have a number of seats, a a set number of seats that's on the plane with me when I travel because of the uh continuity aspect of it. Uh the resources plus secret service has to fly with me. So, you can't I can't I can't simply jump into a smaller plane. I didn't make these rules. These rules were in place when I was when I was uh nominated and confirmed to be in this seat. your your role as the head of Department of Homeland Security is is extremely vital.
▶ 2:50:55I totally totally understand. Um you had mentioned earlier in in I think in another question that um because of the shutdowns um we we've missed milestones in the planning of the Olympics and um and the World Cup. I I wonder if you could go into a little bit more specifics in terms of how we're how how you and your department are are trying to catch up. Sorry.
▶ 2:51:20We had to start prioritizing um when we came back alive uh you know after 76 days of being shut down is what I say when we came back alive we started had to prioritize what we can put efforts to because during the shutdown we didn't we weren't able because we didn't have the employees and we didn't have the the department to be able to start issuing these FEMA grants that we need to run uh with all the host cities in for the Olympics and in also FIFA.
▶ 2:51:47So when we came back alive, we had to start really focusing on FIFA because we were behind and those agencies were hurting for finances. We had to put um all efforts into it. Now we're get we're caught up. Well, we're not totally caught up, Troy, but we're close to being caught up and and as soon as FIFA is over, which is the 19th of July, is that correct, sir? I think it's the 19th of July is our or the 18th, one of the two of July, we will be able to to um to start focusing on Olympics again.
▶ 2:52:18Yeah. Just let me add to we in the last three weeks since uh Secretary uh has taken over, we've released six billion dollars in FEMA and a big part of that to get back out to the states because we were pent up with these uh with these shutdowns. And I'll also just add to this is that one of the the hardest part is uh what we've had to piece together the big beautiful bill money and the appropriations. You know, something we really haven't talked a whole lot about today is FY27 and what we're doing here today.
▶ 2:52:45So, you know, I think at some point, you know, I would just say, you know, big things that are out there. They talked about the TSA passenger fee. You know, that was something every year in the president's budget, we put that forward and we asked for you guys to give that to us to make the investments in TSA. Uh, you know, same thing this year. We hope that you guys would help us out. We'd really be able to use that money for the technology to help screen for this big event for FIFA.
▶ 2:53:06I I appreciate that. Uh I run out of time, but thank you for your question. So, we should focus on the topic of the committee hearing. And with that, I yield back.
▶ 2:53:12Gentleman yields back. I recognize the gentle lady from New Jersey, Miss Mahia, for five minutes.
▶ 2:53:19Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member uh Thompson. Secretary Mullen, you you called our complaints about facilities like Delaney Hall a hoax and have stated that detainees receive health care, three meals a day, due process.
▶ 2:53:39But I will say that from dozens of conversations like my colleagues Po and MacGyver that I have personally had with detainees and what I have witnessed at Delaney Hall and at the Elizabeth Detention Center. I can say that I am horrified about the conditions that I that I am seeing that I have witnessed in these facilities. The most shocking to be honest is the what I would describe as medical abuse.
▶ 2:54:06I will say that I met detainees who complained about weaponized poor sanitation, spoiled food, specifically lack of medical care, and as it as it is related to their medication, a level of abuse that frankly is putting immigrants lives and detaines lives at risk.
▶ 2:54:29I will share that I interviewed teenagers, pregnant mothers, the elderly, vulnerable people with chronic conditions. And here's what I heard. I met detainees who were given critical medication sporadically.
▶ 2:54:46insulin, metformin, diabetes medication, other diabetes medication, high blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, thyroid medication, hormonal medication, all medication that if given sporadically can in fact harm an indiv individual's lives.
▶ 2:55:04I met detainees who not only were given their medication sporadically or had their dosages lowered without consultation of their doctors, but I met detainees who were not even made aware of what medication they were given. Just handed a bunch of pills and not told what had changed and whether or not any additions had been made.
▶ 2:55:29I also met detainees with chronic health conditions that were not being treated at all or if they were being treated insufficiently. So sir, I'm going to make it easy. I would like to ask you a few yes or no questions since we're short on time. Again, questions. So first, do you audit how many detainees have chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or any chronic disease? Yes or no?
▶ 2:56:00As I said before, we provide two times the medical personnel.
▶ 2:56:03Yes or no, sir. Because I'm short on time. State penitentiary does.
▶ 2:56:06So, you do you do audit the I don't know if we audit that specific issue
▶ 2:56:13Okay. I'm going to take that as a no. Do you monitor the conditions of detainees as warranted and prescribed by their doctors and not not just by ICE employees or contractors? Yes or three times more medical staff than state penitentiary does per individual.
▶ 2:56:28Do you monitor the conditions of detainees who have chronic conditions as prescribed by their doctors? Yes or no?
▶ 2:56:35Two times the medical personnel.
▶ 2:56:37Okay, I'm going to take that as a I do not know the answer. Third question. Detainees complain of healthc care treatment taking up to a week or more. Do you audit or track how long it takes between complaining about a health condition and the time it takes to to receive care? Yes sir. In a state in a state penitentiary a 48 hour.
▶ 2:56:57We're not talking about state penitentiary sir. You do not overseer. I'm not speaking of state penitentiies. I'm speaking of Delaney Hall pass and succeed your own state. So as I understand it yet again the answer is I don't know. Will you allow New Jersey's Department of Health could to conduct full and routine inspections of all areas including areas that have impact on the health of detainees and staff
▶ 2:57:26where they are legally able to go by state statute and the federal contract and we will allow them to enter which is what we
▶ 2:57:33do bathrooms pose a health threat are they allowed to go inspect the bathrooms
▶ 2:57:38depends on it's within their contract and our state agreement that we have with that federal
▶ 2:57:41so I am hearing that that it's a yes that they should given that deterior legally able to go based on the contract we have.
▶ 2:57:50So again I'm going to take that as a I don't know. Will you provide the state with the number of individuals that are detained the number of seniors pregnant women individuals with chronic diseases like diabetes, congestive heart failure, hormonal conditions, cancer or more.
▶ 2:58:07We are required to report. We will report. Uh by the way you made a statement about teenager I haven't finished. You can you can add in a moment. Will you institute a non a no tolerance policy for retaliation against any detainee or staffer that is a
▶ 2:58:26Is that a no?
▶ 2:58:27Gentlemen, gentle lady's time is now expired. I recognize the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Van Eps, for five minutes
▶ 2:58:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing today. And thank you, Secretary Mullen and Deputy Secretary Edgar for joining us. You both lead one of the most critical components of our entire government. The men and women of the Department of Homeland Security devote every day to keeping Americans safe at home. And as a citizen and as a father, thank you for all you do. The first group of questions are on the alignment between DHS and local law enforcement.
▶ 2:58:58There's an opportunity to improve DHS intelligence and analysis, intel sharing with local law enforcement that we have worked on, you all are leading on. So that intelligence sharing is a two-way street. Can you discuss how your plan to consolidate INA with other offices to report directly to you will affect reporting structures and improve intel sharing and how it will better enable DHS's relationship with local law enforcement who need actionable
▶ 2:59:26Yes, we're trying to expand the 287G program to bring INA in uh to allow us to work and cooperate. We have a cooperation uh with where where we reimburse for uh equipment for overtime hours for salaries and that's from vehicles to to drone defense to everything in between. Uh to be able to to work with them to train them on intelligence gatherings. There's a lot of small municipalities that doesn't have the ability to do so.
▶ 2:59:52If we're able to to give a grant to them where they can hire somebody full-time uh and then we'll able to train them and then uh and bring them up for training facilities. That's what we're doing. We have the ability to do it in a small scale. If we can include it in the 287g program, it'd be extremely helpful.
▶ 3:00:10Great. Thanks, sir. Uh, next next question. Uh, how how is DHS working with fusion centers in every state to maximize communication clarity and And many many fusion centers are heavily relying on DHS grants for staffing. How will this budget better support fusion center functions and relationships with DHS components?
▶ 3:00:31Yeah. Hey, uh I'm going to go ahead and answer that. So, uh and it kind of relates to your first question. The way that INA is set up, the we have 88 different fusion centers across the US we insert ourselves into. So, we are the key line between the intelligence community and the law enforcement community into the local jurisdiction. So, this budget, as you know, is kind of a combination between FY27, what we've asked for at DHS, and FY27, what uh the OD and I asked for in title 50 type money because a lot of stuff that we do is classified.
▶ 3:01:00So the way this is set up, the OSUM consolidation that you asked about that actually consolidates INA uh one of the benefits of that uh that the president put forward is that we'll be able to consolidate the mission support the things that aren't so focused on the uh the fusion centers like CFOs, three CFOs for those different groups, procurement leads, all that. We basically are taking a lot of the back office out of that ad that organization being able to focus it on fusion centers.
▶ 3:01:27Great. Thank you sir. Uh, moving on to the Coast Guard. The budget request follows through on transforming the Coast Guard to meet modern needs. As the Arctic grows increasingly competitive, the Coast Guard is a critical piece of the US force posture in the region. How does this budget support increased Coast Guard operations in the Arctic? And what else is necessary to ensure a capable and sustained presence in the Arctic?
▶ 3:01:49Ice breakers are obviously a huge asset that we lack. We have one icebreaker. Russia has 49. Uh the president has made this a u a focus. Right now we have 11 under contract. Hopefully three will be u delivered by 2028. Um and being able to respond to our own cargo ships, be able to respond to our own flagships and also be able to help surrounding countries is vitally important.
▶ 3:02:15But it also allows us to get up to areas that are contested areas to which China is fishing in uh Russia is exploring in and areas they shouldn't be. So the focus that President Trump has put in there by putting $24 billion into realignment and investment with the Coast Guard is extremely important. Keep in mind the Coast Guard is our first line of defense before they make it to our sovereign land.
▶ 3:02:40They take care of our coastal waters and in some areas pushing into the international waters. and the way they've been neglected over the years. Um, for me now being secretary over DHS and over uh the Coast Guard, uh, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the investment President Trump has made and the focus he's put in there. We recently just came back from the gra from the academy graduation. That's his second time to go to the Coast Guard graduation and be the commencement speaker. That's just unheard of.
▶ 3:03:09Yes, sir. I agree. Very, very uh, glad to have that that investment.
▶ 3:03:12Can I ask something uh, specifically to FY27? So, uh, you'll see that the president asked for, um, about another $1.8 billion to actually help with the staffing and so specific to your request to the Arctic, not only for the Arctic cutters, but for the people that are needed to go up there. It's really important. We hope that you guys will support the budget. Thank you.
▶ 3:03:31Thank you, gentlemen, for what you do. And with that, I yield back.
▶ 3:03:34Gentleman yields back and I recognize the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr.
▶ 3:03:38Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, let me thank you for uh at least an attempt to to balance and to measure the discussion. Um in order to get answers, we have to be able to have a some flow of respect back and forth. So So thank you for um attempting to do that. Secretary Mullen, I'm a balls and strike kind of guy. I get the impression that you are too. So uh I'm going to treat it that way.
▶ 3:04:06and and my my line of questioning will be I'll assume that you're going to tell the truth and you're going to do the right thing as I'm going to be honest in my questions and try to return the favor. Um let me start by thanking your organization for proven critical projects in my district that have been stalled for nearly a year, including flood mitigation projects in St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans. These types of mitigation projects are critical to communities in my district of South Louisiana where we can still see destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.
▶ 3:04:36Over 20 years later, the storms and the costliest natural disaster in US history, claiming over 1,800 lives. FEMA's partnership and resources have been the backbone of Louisiana's rebuilding efforts. While the states have closed over 99% of the 2,000 recovery projects, we still need help. We have projects that are still um waiting for resources. Mr.
▶ 3:05:02Secretary, the city of New Orleans and the Joint Infrastructure Recovery Program, JIRR, is a comprehensive FEMA funded initiative uh to pair some 10,000 repair some 10,000 blocks of streets, drainage systems damaged by historic floods, and storms. Will you please consider a time extension for these projects through 2028 to ensure that they can be completed responsibly? It's been just dragging along. I'll definitely look into it, sir.
▶ 3:05:32And any effort that you can will be greatly appreciated. Additionally, the state of Louisiana submitted time
▶ 3:05:38and I'll get back to you on that, too. What we can what we come up with, okay? And what is the hold up and why if we do or if we don't, what the reason is.
▶ 3:05:45Fair enough. Additionally, Louisiana submitted time extensions for 43 other Katrina related related infrastructure and facilities recovery projects across South Louisiana. These projects face extraordinary challenges beyond grantees control including CO 19 disruptions and construction firms uh capacity supply chain. They were held up. Will you please also consider time extensions for these last few Katrina projects?
▶ 3:06:13Yes sir. I'll definitely look into it and once again I'll get back to you with our findings on it.
▶ 3:06:16Fair enough. Finally, I'd like to bring to your attention the impact of the recent Jones Act waiver on the American Mariners. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, requires that good that goods shipped between the US and ports by tra to be transported on vessels are Americanbuilt, Americanowned, crewed by Americans, ensuring a strong domestic merchant marine fleet ready to transport national defense and economic security.
▶ 3:06:45The current waiver initially issued in March and subsequently extended in August has result in the loss of millions of dollars to our domestic maritime industry with work with work instead going to foreign flag vessels that undercut the cheap undercut cheaper labor. Approximately 95% completed waiver voyages primarily benefit maritime operators that do not pay US tax dollars tax pay taxes or comply with the US immigration laws.
▶ 3:07:15Uh is there if there's time is there's a way can you assist with advancing issues to address these? We're we've just recently opened up a uh a new shipyard I think in Corpus Christi. Is that correct?
▶ 3:07:32In Galveston, I'm sorry. And what we've seen, sir, I just I haven't seen the millions of dollars lost because we're seeing that there was a huge backlog of product needing to move to the inland waters and we didn't have the flagships, the vessels, and the crews to be able to get to them. And so right now, until we can get the the ships built that can be flagged inside the United States and we don't want to do any harm. the Jones Act. I I have no issue with the Jones
▶ 3:07:55Okay, with with no disrespect, I have 43 seconds and I think you've answered me and I appreciate that and and notwithstanding, we can get into the particulars of it was a million, it was 10 million, whatever. The reality is we need to make sure and I think you'll agree that we protect our our uh American vessels to make sure that they're correct and Jones Act is a way of doing that.
▶ 3:08:13Listen, it's been exhausting very frankly to hear my colleagues on the other side go back to Obama and Biden and Mayarchus. Listen, I'm a balls and strike kind of guy. I'm going to assume whatever happened in the past, whoever did it wrong, your job now is to get it right. And I want to give you enough time and room to do just that. Uh, let me ask you a final question in my final five seconds. Mr. Secretary, the agents and officers who shot Maramar Martinez and kill Renee Good and Alex Prey, are they still working for DHS?
▶ 3:08:46I'm not sure. I know uh, one of them's under investigation. the situation's under investigation, but I would assume typically in those situations they put put on administrative leave once the investigation is complete there'll be a termination if they stay on the force or
▶ 3:09:01And you mentioned Thank you and I appreciate that. And then finally, thank you, Mr. You indicated that you had a zero tolerance for anyone that would violate the rights or safety of your agents. Do you will you also say on the record that you will also have zero vi um zero tolerance for anyone who violates the rights of citizens?
▶ 3:09:18Gentleman's time's expired. Can he please just answer that?
▶ 3:09:21He wants to answer it in his next second. He can. Um I never
▶ 3:09:24think he was shaking his head for the record. So thank you, Mr.
▶ 3:09:26I'm Listen, I've known the secretary for a very long time who's a man who takes his job very seriously and I'm sure he
▶ 3:09:32and I think my comments suggested that I agree with that.
▶ 3:09:35I agree. Uh I now recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. McKenzie, for five minutes of questions.
▶ 3:09:41Thank you, Chairman, and thank you to Secretary Mullen for joining us today. I appreciate you being here before the committee. I want to start by expressing my appreciation to your department and specifically FEMA for working with our Pennsylvania communities to recover millions of dollars of funding that they were owed from the CO 19 pandemic.
▶ 3:10:02Earlier this year, I led an effort with several of my colleagues in our Pennsylvania delegation to advocate for the release of long-standing public assistance reimbursements that were owed to hospitals and health systems across Pennsylvania. These funds went back to an application that they submitted back in 2021.
▶ 3:10:20Ultimately, it ended up being $580 million of previously outstanding public assistance funding, over $103 million in support of hospitals and healthcare networks right in my Lehigh Valley and Pocono district. That funding is critically important. Obviously, it can go into their ongoing operations to keep our community safe and healthy. Uh but that money was held up for years on end.
▶ 3:10:44Uh, and so I want to thank your department for being so responsive when we sent you that letter very quickly in short order. You and your team were able to get those funds released and coming back to Pennsylvania to help again keep our community safe and healthy. So, I want to thank you for that.
▶ 3:11:00I can't take all the credit on that. That was the culmination between uh the deputy secretary and um Brian Kavanaaugh who brought it to my attention uh when we took it to the White House with President Trump. uh he he immediately agreed to get the money out the door. So, we went to Russ vote and the money started flowing, but it was just a matter of bringing it to the president's attention to get it done.
▶ 3:11:24Well, we appreciate that because again, hadn't happened for probably about 5 years uh that they were owed that funding. So, appreciate you being so responsive in getting it out to uh everybody back in our communities that needs that assistance. To that end, I would like to look forward. what are we going to do uh to make sure that these types of hang-ups don't happen going forward with FEMA?
▶ 3:11:44So, uh can we talk about fiscal year 26 prepared next grant cycle, how it's being administered, uh what you're seeing going forward so that hospitals, nonprofits, local governments, first responders, everybody else in our community doesn't experience this type of delay. Unfortunately with FEMA, we have uh an issue with our own bureaucracy and uh we have a gentleman right now, Cameron, who is uh been nominated by the president that hopefully we get confirmed quick.
▶ 3:12:13The president is laser focused in FEMA and getting it working and and streamlining making sure the dollars get to the states faster instead of being held up in FEMA like this. Um and uh and I appreciate that, but it's going to take some time.
▶ 3:12:26It's a huge agency and we're I told the president when I met met with him last week I said give me two months once I get Cameron in place and we will start looking at all these systems uh and seeing how we can streamline it take care of what we are uh what we are required by Congress's statute so statute what are we required to do and what layers we have built on top of it because our own bureaucracy and get it down to mission focus. Thank you and appreciate your focus on this issue.
▶ 3:12:56As you pointed out, these funds are so critically important and getting them out in an appropriate but also timely fashion is important. So, thank you for your your focus and and work that you're doing on that going forward. I'd like to shift gears. In your opening remarks, you talked about how the Biden administration had lost track of over a 100,000 unaccompanied minors and that you were in part tasked with tracking down and rescuing uh some of these children who were in really heinous situations, whether
▶ 3:13:26it be sex traffic, human traffic, forced labor. Uh please talk about your ongoing efforts, how you're making progress on that front, what we can do to be of assistance as we move forward. Using rough numbers, 340,000 kids were lost underneath the Biden administration. Lost. I mean, we had [snorts] no idea where they're at. There had been no uh checks on them. [clears throat] There was from the time they released at the state level, excuse me, or from the border to where they had been.
▶ 3:13:53No one had had been uh contacted to say that that was actually where they're at and what they were supposed to be doing. Uh we have now recovered over 120 uh that could be 140, but I think it's 120,000. And those were the cases that they were where they were supposed to be. Uh some of them we had moved and we had to track them down. Now we're going after the hard ones, which is the ones we're very afraid are either in labor trafficking, human trafficking, sex trafficking. Uh and it's it's very very concerning. Every single day matters.
▶ 3:14:23During the shutdown, it um it put that mission I at at risk and we wasn't able to do things. We've been through four shutdowns. The last one was 76 days. HSI is the one that leads this and we lost our partnerships with state and local because we wasn't able to fund them because we fund their activities as they work alongside us and so we're just now standing that up.
▶ 3:14:44Thank you for your work to protect those incredibly vulnerable children and look forward to continuing to work with you.
▶ 3:14:50Thank you Congressman.
▶ 3:14:51Thank you gentlemen yields back. I now recognize the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green for five minutes questions.
▶ 3:14:57Thank you Mr. Chairman. I thank the ranking member as well. Uh Mr. Chairman, the secretary has commented on race, a topic that I believe I'm imminently qualified to speak on given that in my lifetime. I went to the back door to get my food. I drank from filthy colored water fountains.
▶ 3:15:23I sat in the back of the bus in the balcony of the movie when a seat was available. So, let me just share some of the characteristics of a racist. Mr. a racist will depict people of color as apes. The pictures have been blurred, but you know who they are. This is what a racist would do.
▶ 3:15:54And a racist wouldn't apologize after doing this. Mr. Mr. Secretary, that's what a racist would do. A racist, Mr. Secretary, would take offense at peaceful protest. You said you believe in peaceful This was peaceful protest, Mr. Racist take offense at peaceful protest.
▶ 3:16:23A racist, Mr. Secretary would do what happened to Ruby.
▶ 3:16:30Are you calling me a racist?
▶ 3:16:31A racist.
▶ 3:16:33I'm asking a question.
▶ 3:16:34Reclaiming my time. Ask him to shut up.
▶ 3:16:36That's a pretty
▶ 3:16:37Shut up.
▶ 3:16:38Shut up.
▶ 3:16:39Shut up. It's my time.
▶ 3:16:41I'm not going to let anyone calls me call me a racist. German.
▶ 3:16:45I never called him a racist. It's my
▶ 3:16:47It is. Gentleman will suspend. He will not. Tell him to shut up.
▶ 3:16:51Gentleman suspend. No, the gentleman will suspend. No one will call me a racist. I'm I'm Cherokee, too. My My family has been pretty pretty
▶ 3:17:01I ask that my time be resto restored. I ask that my time be
▶ 3:17:05The clock has been the clock has been stopped since I suspended the clock.
▶ 3:17:08I will continue to interrupt as long as someone sitt there assuming I as I said before, there will be no uh no addressing anyone's character in negative way. Uh
▶ 3:17:21by the way, um Mr. Brian, I need you when you're speaking. I need you to speak into the microphone cuz I can't I can't hear you up here. But we will.
▶ 3:17:29Evidently, his constituents heard enough of him because they voted him out.
▶ 3:17:32Secretary, Mr. Secretary, please. Again, we're almost done here today. Mr. Green, you can continue. But again, I will stop if if if this sounds like you are either directing that this this secretary is a racist or as well as uh the president or vice president because we we do know under our rules you cannot uh disparage a member of Congress or the president or the vice president.
▶ 3:18:02So be very I understand what what you're trying to do. be very careful because it is a violation of house of our committee rules to disparage another member, a witness or the president or the vice
▶ 3:18:16Parliamentary point of parliamentary
▶ 3:18:20Uh Mr. Chairman uh when I'm speaking uh I believe that the time belongs to me. I don't think that the secretary should interrupt me when I'm speaking. I have made very clear today that when the member has their time, it is their time. But again, I want to I want to reiterate it is a violation of House rules to make statements that might be personally offensive to the president or vice president.
▶ 3:18:49So I we will let you continue with your time. The time has has stopped since I suspended the clock. But again, it is a violation. It it is your time, sir. It is your time. I agree. But it is a violation of the rules of the house to make statements that might be personally offensive to the president or the vice president of the United States as well as other members or question motives of colleagues.
▶ 3:19:14So I will let you continue but we want to be very I've now stated the rules. So we want to we want to follow them.
▶ 3:19:24Thank you Mr. Chairman. I will speak into the microphone so that I may be I ask that any person who desires to interrupt me shut up. this is Ruby Bridges. She was integrating a school. You can see the hate on the faces of people. This was called racism.
▶ 3:19:54This was racism. All I did at the State of the Union address was display this. Mr. Chairman, this is what I did. I was peaceful. The secretary says he believes in peaceful protest. Cue the video, please. Q1.
▶ 3:20:26Freeze the frame, please. That, my friends, is the Secretary of Homeland Security. He traversed some distance to get to a peaceful protester and display his despicable behavior. Unbought, that's me. Unbossed, unafraid, that's me. And by the way, unelected. Yes. liberated You, sir, have engaged in despicable behavior.
▶ 3:20:57Now, let's just talk for a moment about this It's not the only time that you've behaved in a dastardly way. Cue the second video, please.
▶ 3:21:14Quit the tough guy act in these Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Any Anytime. Cowboy.
▶ 3:21:23Sir, this is a time. This is a place. You want to run your mouth? We can be two consenting adults. We can finish it
▶ 3:21:29Okay, that's fine. Perfect.
▶ 3:21:31You want to do it now?
▶ 3:21:31I'd love to do it right now.
▶ 3:21:32Well, stand your butt up then.
▶ 3:21:34You stand your butt up.
▶ 3:21:35Oh, hold. Stop it.
▶ 3:21:36Is that your solution? Rep.
▶ 3:21:38No. No. Sit down.
▶ 3:21:39Called it out. Look at you. You know, you're a United States Senator.
▶ 3:21:46That was the Secretary of Homeland The Secretary of Homeland Security concerns me because of his behavior as it relates to peaceful protest, as it relates to the way he chose to come over and with force address a peaceful protester.
▶ 3:22:10It concerns me because in that department, they have many people of I'm concerned about how they will be treated under the leadership of this Secretary of Homeland Security. I do not believe that he is qualified because he doesn't have the temperament to deal with people in a respectful way. peacefully protested.
▶ 3:22:39I would do it again because I know the history of apes and how they have been used to demean people of color.
▶ 3:22:47Gentleman's time is expired. I recognize the ranking member for a unanimous consent request.
▶ 3:22:54Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the following. a bulletin from the Colorado Information Analysis Center warning that ICE recruitment materials could motivate white supremist violence.
▶ 3:23:12a report from the Global Project [clears throat] Against Hate and Extremism that DHS continues to post white nationalist content on social media and an article from the New York Times that DHS hired a social media manager with a history of making white nationalist posts.
▶ 3:23:38Without objection, I recognize the gentleman from California for UC request. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have unanimous consent to submit for the record uh article woman held by ICE for 25 days despite evidence of citizenship finally gets a US passport.
▶ 3:23:52That objection. UC request
▶ 3:23:56recognize a gentleman from Texas for unanimous consent request
▶ 3:23:58that the posters in a pro an appropriate size be placed in the record and um that a document indicating the percentage of persons of color in Homeland Security be added to the record as well. Without objection, members of the committee may have some additional questions for the witnesses and we'd like to ask the witnesses to respond to these in writing. Pursuant to committee rule 7E, the hearing record will be held open for 10 days.
▶ 3:24:29Without objection, the committee stands