Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, officially became the new cabinet secretary in charge of enforcing Donald Trump’s flagship immigration policy in a ceremony at the White House.
He was sworn in by the attorney general, Pam Bondi.
Trump sang his praises as “someone strong professional and fair” as Mullin and his wife, Christie, looked on.
Mullin’s fellows senators voted on Monday night, by 54 to 45, to confirm his nomination.
Only two Democrats, Jon Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, voted in favor of Mullin, after intense questioning over his suitability from both Democrats and fellow Republicans .
Critics have said Mullin is an unsuitable choice to oversee bodies like the immigration and customs enforcement agency, whose staff have been criticized for their heavy handed approach to detaining presumed immigrants.
He faced criticism over his description of Alex Pretti, a nurse who was shot dead by border patrol agents in Minneapolis in January as he lay on the ground, as a “deranged individual.” He also came under pressure from Rand Paul, a fellow Republican from Kentucky, who challenged him to justify his comments expressing sympathy for a man who violently assaulted Paul over a neighborhood dispute in 2017.
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Source: This article was originally published by The Guardian
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