A Senate committee on Thursday voted to advance Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to serve as Homeland Security secretary, sending the nominee to the Republican-controlled full Senate, where he will need a majority for confirmation.

Mullin, a businessman and former U.S. House member who became a senator in 2023, was nominated by President Donald Trump after he dismissed embattled Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this month. Noem faced criticism from Republican lawmakers over her handling of Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown and management of the 260,000-person department.

During his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Republican committee Chairman Rand Paul criticized Mullin for past violent statements, including support for a man who attacked Paul in 2017, and announced he would oppose the nomination.

If confirmed, Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, would become the second Native American Cabinet member in U.S. history.

Mullin signaled he would approach key issues differently than Noem. He said federal immigration officers would require judicial warrants to enter homes or businesses unless pursuing a suspect, reversing a policy issued last year that allowed warrantless entries. He also pledged to revoke a policy requiring Noem to personally approve contracts over $100,000, which critics said delayed disaster recovery grants.

Trump’s immigration operations, launched in mid-2025 in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis, faced public criticism after clashes with residents and the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens, with polls showing declining support for the approach.