Her interest in the job comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested about 51,000 people in July, the highest number of arrests in a single month in DHS history.

The federal agency recently ramped up its immigration operations at airports, searching for people who have overstayed their visas or have pending immigration issues. Over 30 people were arrested at airports last month, according to agency data cited by reports.

While the number of ICE arrests broke the department’s record, ICE deportations have largely remained level so far this year. Mullin pledged to increase deportations in 2026, but newly reported data show the number of deportations is not much different from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s yearlong tenure. There have been about 2,000 deportations per day at varying points in recent weeks, according to Politico.

Right-wing figures that associate with the Make America Great Again movement, such as former White House strategist Steve Bannon, have been critical of Mullin’s focus on comprehensive immigration reform over mass deportations.

“Mullin is the wrong guy at the wrong time for the wrong job — a time when we need [to] focus on ‘mass deportations,’ we get an amnesty advocate,” Bannon told Politico in an interview this week.

Gregory Bovino, former Border Patrol commander at large, has also been supportive of more aggressive immigration enforcement, which he believes Mullin won’t do.

“Replace him with a border security professional who understands the threat and embraces true mass deportations,” Bovino wrote.

In a previous social media post, Loomer called on Trump to “fire Markwayne Muslim” because she says Mullin “has done absolutely nothing to increase the rate of mass deportations” since becoming DHS secretary in March.

“Our country is being ravaged by Islamic communists and Markwayne is doing nothing to deport these enemy combatants who are chanting Death To America on the streets of America,” Loomer said on Sunday. “When we have another 9/11 or Amercians are attacked with drones by Islamic communists, Markwayne Muslim is going to be to blame.”

Mullin replaced Noem earlier this year after the former DHS chief sat during contentious congressional hearings, where she was grilled on immigration enforcement and a now-reversed policy that required the secretary’s approval for DHS contracts and grants worth over $100,000. Noem has denied that her testimony caused Trump to fire her. She now serves as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a multinational coalition led by the United States to combat drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere.

Loomer has long been a steadfast ally of Trump, often appearing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and traveling alongside his events. She has espoused conspiracy theories over the years, including claims that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job” and that major mass shootings were staged, putting her at odds with Republicans and other Trump allies.

PRO-TRUMP INFLUENCER LAURA LOOMER SHIFTS TOWARD UKRAINE SUPPORT

After returning from her recent trip to Ukraine, Loomer reversed her critical stance on the European nation’s war with Russia and blamed Moscow’s propaganda for duping her into opposing Kyiv. She said she has spoken with Trump about the situation in Ukraine.

Loomer’s sudden change of heart came after she experienced her first air raid in Ukraine last month, understanding what Ukrainians have to face every day since Russia invaded their country over four years ago. She once labeled U.S. politicians who supported Ukraine as “traitors.”