DHS Secretary says California governor candidate Steyer misunderstands ICE

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

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

"I’m very simple about this; ICE ought to be abolished," Steyer mentioned at a February debate. "You actually can’t reform a company which is completely fallacious and prison from high to backside."

Mullin, who took the reins of the Department of Homeland Security roughly three weeks in the past, mentioned the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful doesn't have the ability to abolish the federal immigration agency .

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DHS Secretary decried California gubernatorial front-runner Tom Steyer on Wednesday, claiming he "would not perceive" the function of ICE. (Left (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures), Proper (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Day by day Information by way of Getty Pictures))

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

Current polling locations Steyer because the front-runner within the race to exchange California Gov. Gavin Newsom . He leads with 21% of possible voters, whereas Republican candidate Steve Hilton trails at 18%. Steyer has emerged as a sudden Democratic front-runner after numerous sexual misconduct allegations pressured Eric Swalwell to drop his gubernatorial marketing campaign and resign from Congress.

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

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

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

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"We're not doing something exterior the legislation, we're working well within the law, and so they're doing a job each single day defending, even folks like himself, that need to decriminalize criminals. It would not make any sense to me."

Mullin additionally mentioned Steyer’s fellow California Democrats, who largely maintain anti-ICE stances, have the ability to reform ICE through congressional legislation .

"[Steyer] says they're prison from high to backside? ICE is imposing the legal guidelines that Congress handed. That implies that the Democrats that signify California within the federal authorities, in the event that they needed to alter ICE's authority, they might do it," he added.

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

Fox Information Digital reached out to Steyer's marketing campaign for remark.

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

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

" We would like authorized immigration, those that need to make the nation stronger. We're a nation of immigrants. We perceive that. However the proper sorts of immigrants."