Marin said he would need a judicial warrant to enter the home.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, said federal immigration agents would require a judicial warrant to enter people’s homes and businesses, signaling a possible shift in policy from his predecessor, Kristi Noem.

“We are not going to enter a residence or a business without a judicial warrant unless we go after an individual who has taken refuge in a business or residence,” Marin, R-Okla., said during his confirmation hearing Wednesday, when asked about an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo authorizing arrests and entry without a warrant.

He also told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that there are no plans to send DHS law enforcement to polling places, following President Donald Trump’s call last month to “nationalize” elections.

“The only reason my officers would be there is if there was a specific threat that they would be there, not for intimidation,” Mullin said.

Mullin’s appearance Wednesday was the first of two panels this week, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Earlier this month, President Trump nominated Marin, a close friend of the president, to lead DHS after firing Noem amid controversy.

The hearing got off to a tense start, with Paul criticizing his comments about Marin. In February, it was reported that Mullin called the Kentucky Republican a “freak snake” and suggested he understood why Paul’s neighbor attacked him in 2017.

“I question whether someone who celebrates violence against political opponents is the right person to lead a government agency that has struggled to accept limits on the appropriate use of force,” Paul said.

“Tell me to my face why you think I deserve it,” Paul continued. “At the same time, please explain to the American people why they should trust a man with anger issues to set a good example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.”

In response, Mr. Marin did not take a conciliatory attitude.

“We just don’t get along, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work at all,” Marin told Paul. “I may have different opinions than everyone in this room, but as Homeland Secretary I will protect you.”

“I think the record should and will show a lack of remorse, a lack of apology, a lack of remorse for the support. You completely understand the violence that was inflicted on me,” Paul said.

Republicans hold an 8-7 edge on the committee, and Marin will need a simple majority to advance to the full Senate. According to MS Now, Paul told reporters after the hearing that he would not vote for Marin. Although Paul’s “no” complicates his candidacy, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has said he plans to vote in support of Mullin. The committee is scheduled to vote on Marin’s nomination Thursday.

Marin is a hard-line supporter of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He is seeking to lead a government agency currently shut down amid Democratic concerns over immigration enforcement policies. Senate Democrats and the White House continue to negotiate a funding deal for DHS.

Mullin, a former MMA fighter, rancher and owner of his own plumbing business, came to the House in 2013 on a wave of anti-establishment sentiment. He will become a senator in 2023 and has become known on The Hill for building strong relationships with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

On Wednesday, it was flanked by former Republican and Democratic members of Congress, including former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and moderate Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.).

Sitting directly behind Mullin was Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who nearly got into a physical altercation with union leaders during a 2023 Senate hearing. The two have since become friends, Marin said.

“He has a rare talent for bringing people together on both sides of the aisle,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).

But despite these strong bipartisan relationships, Mullin did not escape tough questioning from the committee’s Democrats. Democrats have harshly criticized President Trump’s mass deportation policies and lenient deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agencies.

The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), questioned Mullin about his response to the deaths of Alex Preti and Renee Good, who were killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. Before the investigation began, Marin called Pretti, a federal employee and ICU nurse, “mentally insane,” echoing Noem’s claims shortly after the killing.

“If you are confirmed as secretary, can you expect such a quick response?” Mr. Peters asked.

“Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn’t have said those things, and I wouldn’t have done that as chief. The investigation is ongoing,” Mullins said. “Sometimes I make mistakes, but it’s my fault. That one went too far too fast.”

Mr. Peters also harshly criticized Mr. Marin, who has never served in the military, for his recent comments since the start of the Iran war.

“War is ugly. It smells awful. And if someone could go there and smell and taste and feel and hear the war going on around them, it would be something they’ll never forget. And it’s ugly,” Marin told Fox News.

In response to Peters’ question about first-hand experience abroad, Mullin mentioned “secret” official travel during his time in the House of Representatives.

“In 2015, I trained in a very small contingency and was asked to go to a specific area,” Marin said. “During that time, I was required to undergo training and had to meet certain training qualifications,” Marin said.

“Where did you smell the war?” Peters continued.

Marin said he has “never discussed specifics” about the details of the trip. Paul and Peters requested a confidential briefing after the hearing to obtain further information about their overseas assignments.

Some Democratic DHS critics have said since Mullin’s nomination that the change in leadership will do little to change policy as long as Trump’s chief of staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller holds sway. Marin also didn’t stray too far from the administration when asked about specific aspects of immigration policy.

Asked about ICE’s arrest quotas by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mullin said, “I don’t have a quota set. … It’s the president of the United States who sets policy, and I’m going to work with him.”