Mullin Says Deportations Will Continue Amid GOP Losses

The Homeland Security secretary's remarks follow Republican setbacks in counties across the country in the midterm elections.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Immigration

Mullin Says Deportations Will Continue Amid GOP Losses

Live Poll

Should the U.S. continue deporting migrants at its current pace?

Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said migrant deportations will continue after Republicans lost ground in 99% of some 2,200 counties counted compared with Trump's 2024 results. Setbacks were especially pronounced in Hispanic-majority counties.

Why it matters

The remarks signal that the administration's deportation policy will continue despite a midterm electoral setback that reached traditionally conservative areas. Only 14% of NBC exit poll voters named immigration as the country's main problem, compared with 39% who named the economy.

Exit polls found 14% of NBC voters named immigration as the main problem versus 39% citing the economy and 32% ranking the state of democracy first. Migration Policy Institute estimates about 980,000 deportations occurred between January 20, 2025 and July 31, 2026, with its own figure for the fiscal year reaching about 660,000.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

Markwayne Mullin is the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, overseeing federal immigration enforcement and border security agencies.

Migration Policy Institute

The Migration Policy Institute is a Washington-based nonprofit think tank that analyzes immigration policy and produced the deportation estimates cited.

The details

Mullin made the statement on Wednesday, November 5, 2026, a day after the midterm elections. The Migration Policy Institute estimated that 80% of deportations counted through July involved people without criminal convictions.

January 20, 2025: Deportation count period begins.
July 31, 2026: Deportation count period ends.
November 4, 2026: Midterm elections held.
November 5, 2026: Mullin says deportations will continue.

Political Context

The midterm losses reverse the county-level gains Republicans recorded in Trump's 2024 presidential results, with Democrats gaining in traditionally conservative areas. Hispanic-majority counties showed the sharpest setbacks, a pattern that bears directly on the immigration debate.

Ongoing deportation enforcement affects immigrant families, employers that rely on immigrant labor, and communities in Hispanic-majority counties. Voters in these areas may see continued federal immigration actions regardless of the midterm results.

The takeaway

Immigration enforcement remains a central federal priority even as electoral results shift county-level political dynamics. Readers should watch how enforcement levels and public opinion evolve in the coming months.