Workhorse in DC—Mullen Channels Relentless Pace at DHS, already Ahead of 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Workhorse in DC—Mullen Channels Relentless Pace at DHS, already Ahead of 2025
Date: June 29, 2026
Host: Ben Ferguson (Premiere Networks)
Main Guest/Topic: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullen on record-setting deportations and immigration enforcement priorities

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Overview of the Episode’s Main Theme

This episode of "The 47 Morning Update" focuses on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) record-setting deportation pace in 2026 under Secretary Markwayne Mullen. Host Ben Ferguson highlights Mullen’s first 100 days in office, the strategies behind the surge in removals, and Mullen’s philosophy of tireless, hands-on leadership. As Mullen marks his 100th day as DHS Secretary, the episode explores operational changes under his command, the administration’s America First agenda, and strategies for bolstering collaboration with state and local law enforcement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deportations Surge in 2026

• [03:02] Ben Ferguson: Reports that deportations are “way up in 2026,” and statistics suggest DHS will exceed 2025 deportation totals within weeks.

  • Quote: “Deportations. They are way up in 2026. And the stats now show that within weeks we will actually outpace the total number of deportations in 2025.” – Ben Ferguson [03:04]

• Mullen’s Approach: Targets high-priority individuals—primarily those with criminal records or final deportation orders from judges.

  • Quote: “We’re looking at the worst of the worst… people that have already had final orders from a judge... people that have felonies, that have active felonies on them…” – Markwayne Mullen (via interview clip) [04:57]

• Operational Detail: When agents serve warrants for high-priority targets, they commonly arrest several additional undocumented individuals present at the same location.

  • “Very seldom are they ever by themselves. In fact, usually there are three or four other occupants… Actually, it’s an average of over four with them at the same time.” – Mullen [06:01]

2. After 100 Days: Mullen’s Perspective on DHS Leadership

• Mullen’s Reflection: He expresses enthusiasm and energy for the scope of the DHS mission, highlighting the challenge and satisfaction of the role.

  • Quote: “I still love it. I still, every single day I walk in, I think I’m still the luckiest man in the world... I wouldn’t trade my position with anybody, not another cabinet member.” – Markwayne Mullen [08:39]

• Immense Mandate: DHS contains 22 different operational components, necessitating collaboration with a wide array of government departments.

  • “So yes, we have 22 components. Every one… has had some aspect of, well, protecting our interests… So we get the special privilege of protecting my own backyard and yours, regardless if you agree with me or you don’t.” – Mullen [09:30]

• Work Ethic & Presidential Praise: Mullen draws parallels between the relentless pace he sets and President Trump’s legendary drive.

  • “I don’t think I’ve slept in 100 days, but I don’t think the president slept in 80 years, because that guy never stops.” – Mullen [10:46]

• Personal Growth: Mullen recounts mentors from sports, business, and politics—including President Trump—shaping his approach and dedication to public service.

3. Expanding Local & State Law Enforcement Partnerships

• [13:12] Ben Ferguson: Spotlights Mullen’s push to include more local and state police in DHS’s enforcement mechanisms, specifically through the 287(g) program.

  • Quote: “One of the biggest things he’s trying to do at DHS is expand more local and state law enforcement departments into joining the 287(g) program with federal government.” – Ben Ferguson [13:20]

• 287(g) Program Details:

  • Enables local officers to act in immigration enforcement during routine duties.
  • Offers financial and material incentives: equipment, salaries, and support for participating departments.
  • “You want to help your department... we’ll actually pay for those officers. Full salary for you to go through. In small municipalities and smaller states, they can add officers because they can buy new equipment, they can buy drones, they can buy vehicles. And we help them…” – Mullen [14:09]

• Sanctuary Cities Impact: A significant proportion of those arrested have prior or pending felony criminal charges; many have been released from sanctuary jurisdictions.

• Quote: “70% of the individuals we arrest on a daily basis with immigration enforcement have either pending felony charges or they’ve already had felony charges. And a huge percent of those have been released already from sanctuary cities and sanctuary states.” – Mullen [14:47]

4. Mullen’s Resilience and Forward-Looking Vision

• Despite a confrontational 100 days—highlighted by clashes with Democratic lawmakers and media—Mullen projects confidence and emphasizes further gains ahead.
  • “Just 100 days in, it’s very clear the man in charge of DHS is saying we’re just getting started. And he guarantees you this, they’re not backing down anytime soon.” – Ben Ferguson [15:41]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On America First and Administration Pace:

  • “We finally have a president and an administration fighting hard for America first. But if conservatives lose focus now, the same people who created this mess… are ready and waiting to resume their destructive progressive agendas.” – Ben Ferguson [03:18]

• On Personal Drive and Mentorship:

  • “Ever since I was a kid, I had mentors in my life, right?... I feel like I’m still growing. In a hundred days… feels like it’s just been a few weeks.” – Markwayne Mullen [11:17]

• On Inter-Agency Cooperation:

  • “We work with the State Department, we work with the DOJ, we work with the EPA, Agriculture, Commerce and Treasury, and the list goes on. So you’re never bored.” – Markwayne Mullen [10:04]

• On the Magnitude of Change:

  • “This is pretty incredible that the man who’s just been there for 100 days has already gotten so much done.” – Ben Ferguson [12:20]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Faith & Founders Discussion (Light Banter): [02:39]
• Deportation Surge and DHS Focus: [03:02] – [06:10]
• Mullen Interview Reflections: [08:39] – [12:20]
• Expanding 287(g) Program & State/Local Partnerships: [13:12] – [15:50]
• Closing Remarks on DHS Direction: [15:41]

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Tone & Style

• The episode maintains a punchy, direct style in keeping with Ben Ferguson’s “unfiltered” and energetic brand.
• Language is accessible and pointed, with strong opinions and clear attributions.
• Secretary Mullen’s remarks underscore pride in public service and a belief in operational efficiency and inter-agency teamwork.

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Summary

This episode delivers a detailed look at the DHS’s intensified efforts to enforce immigration law and deport individuals deemed high-risk. Secretary Mullen’s rapid adaptation and aggressive posture are celebrated as markers of a hands-on, relentless leadership style, embodying the administration’s commitment to “America First.” The show highlights renewed federal-state cooperation, operational statistics, and the motivation behind DHS’s high-profile actions, serving as a motivational update for listeners eager to support stricter enforcement and administrative momentum.

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For listeners who missed the episode:
This summary covers all major policy updates, behind-the-scenes approaches, and the lightning pace set by Secretary Mullen and his team at DHS, giving you both the facts and the energy of "The 47 Morning Update."

Transcript

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You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben ferguson.

Good Monday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got one big story for you. Deportations. They are way up in 2026. And the stats now show that within weeks we will actually outpace the total number of deportations in 2025. So how is this actually happening? The man in charge, the department of homeland security, he explains it all. The stakes right now could not be higher. We finally have a president and an administration fighting hard for America first. But if conservatives lose focus now, the same people who created this mess, we are ready and waiting to resume their destructive progressive agendas. And protecting this momentum takes more than just votes. It takes everyday Americans like you staying in the fight for our rights and our freedoms. And, and that's why more and more people I know are switching to patriot mobile. America's only christian conservative wireless provider. Patriot mobile offers premium priority nationwide service on all three major U. S networks, unlimited data plans, mobile hotspots, international roaming, and 100 U. S based customer support. And you can switch in minutes while keeping your phone and your number. And I know it because when I made the switch, it literally took me minutes to accomplish that goal. And unlike other carriers, Patriot mobile puts your money towards causes defending faith, family and freedom. That's why I love them. They contribute literally millions each year to organizations on the front lines fighting for our God given rights. Patriot mobile isn't just talking about saving America. They're putting their business behind the fight every single day. So don't wait, join the movement and make a difference. Go to patriotmobile.com ben47 or call 972-patriot. If you use the promo code BEN47, you'll get a free month of service. That's patriotmobile.com BEN47 or 972-patriot and make that switch today. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now. Story number one, Secretary and the man who's in charge of the department of homeland security, former senator mullen says at the 100 day mark as the man in charge, the secretary of the department of homeland security that deportations are way up. 2026 stats set to outpace. He says, well pace past the 2025 numbers. That obviously is good news. If you are in favor of law and order now, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Mark Wayne Mullen, sang exclusively to Breitbart News that deportation numbers in 2026 will very soon outpace all of 2025. Yeah, look at your calendar. You can see that. You better believe it. This is more than last year, basically halfway through the year. He also went on to say that agents from across the Department of Homeland Security are removing illegal aliens from. From the United States Interior at a record rate. We've never seen, quote, we are on a path this year, 26 to well past what we did in 25. I mean, our numbers are, in fact, within, I'd say probably within the next six weeks. We'll probably pass what we deported in all of 2025. What we're going to do in 2026, maybe two months. I think we'll definitely do it within two months, but should will probably be six weeks at the current rate. Now, this is incredible. As for how the DHS is accomplishing this, Mullen said, is by focusing on those who have criminal records or final orders of deportation from judges. And oftentimes, he said, the federal agents will find several other illegal aliens being harbored in the same homes, and they arrest them and deport them, too. So what we're going. What we're going to do and what we're doing is we're looking at the worst of the worst, Mullen said. We're going after people that have already had final orders, meaning they've already had final orders from a judge that says, hey, you gotta go. You've already went through the appeal process and you didn't show up for your last court appearance, so you've got to go. We're going after people that have felonies, that have active felonies on them. We're going after individuals that have been released from state penitentiaries and that had already served their time, but they're still in the country illegally. So now we're getting a warrant out for their arrest because they're no longer allowed to stay inside the country because they violated either their parole or they violated their agreement with the United States by allowing them to come in through the visa program. And then we're going after the individuals that have claimed asylum cases, and asylum cases are the ones they said that they need asylum because they're not. Because they're scared of their own country. Now, the case went in front of a judge. A judge says, no, you don't comply, or they just flat out didn't show up. When you're going after these individuals, we have warrants for them. We're serving them when we find them. Very seldom are they ever by themselves. In fact, usually there are three or four other occupants, individuals with them that are also illegal. So we're picking up the one and we run into them having three or four others. Actually it's just an average of over four with them at the same time. And we arrest those individuals too. So our arrests are on track. Our deportations are way up and we're going to continue to go after the worst of the worst. That's our focus. We're trying to get the criminals off the streets now. Mullins interview came just ahead of his hundred day mark as the Secretary of Homeland Security. That is happening on Thursday. He was thrown into the job after President Donald Trump reassigned the now former Secretary Krissy Noem to focus on Latin American affairs. Mullen, a former U.S. senator, had a quick confirmation for the job from the US Senate and started earlier this spring. A previously published portion of that interview on Mullen's efforts to also secure the World cup soccer tournament and there's a deeper interview and it was talking about how he was going to specifically deal with immigration enforcement matters. He said, quote, I still love it. I still, every single day I walk in, I think I'm still the luckiest man in the world. Referring to what it's been like in the first hundred days looming. I wouldn't trade my position with anybody, not another cabinet member. I really legitimately enjoy it. I get to protect the homeland. Right? It's a mission that every day that works, works well, that you can get behind it as he described it. Now, Mullins also explained how wide ranging the mandate at DHS really is and how the department has 22 different components, all focused on all sorts of security and law enforcement here. He said, quote, so yes, we have 22 components. Every one of those 22 components has come, has had some aspect of, well, protecting our interests, our homeland, not just the lower 48, but all of us, all the Americans. And so we get the special privilege of protecting my own backyard and yours, regardless if you agree with me or you don't agree with me. So every day we're also looking to prove that there are some changes that need to be made and we're working on those changes. They're definitely improvements. Every single day we get in here and say, how can we do it better? Every single day we prevent something from taking place. We work with all of our, all the other secretaries. There's not another agency or cabinet position that works across the board, because we have 22 components. We work with the State Department, we work with the dow, we work with the doj, we work with the epa, we work with Agriculture, we work with Commerce and Treasury, and the list goes on. So you're never bored? You're never running out of things to do? I mean this when I say it. I don't think I've slept in 100 days, but I don't think the president slept in 80 years, because that guy never stops. And so getting to work with him on a daily basis has been amazing. Ever since I was a kid, I had mentors in my life, right? Somebody. Somebody that's achieved something that was setting an example that I wanted to get to. So my dad had a ridiculous work ethic and completely honest. I mean, one thing you didn't do is you never lied to your dad. The second thing you never did is you never told dad you couldn't because he didn't allow excuses. Then I had a football coach, Bill Scott, that was an amazing mentor of mine. Sports and dedication, education. And then when I. I got into. Got into business, I had a guy named Darrell Baskins that really showed me advertising, a guy named Amos that showed me how to actually structure your bills. I know that sounds funny, but I was young. But how do you do the payback? How do you pay the bills and structure it in a form to which then can allow you to invest and set your accounts with a way that they need to be set up? Then I got into politics. I had Kevin McCarthy, who was at the time the whip, who took me under his wing. When I got the Senate, I had John Thune that took me underneath his wing. And now I have President Trump, which is amazing, right? There's no one with a better work ethic. There's no one that manages and able to recruit talent like President Trump can and get people to believe in his vision. So in this position, I feel like I'm still growing. In a hundred days, I felt like I honestly, when I heard it was a hundred days, when we were walking in about every ready to do the interview, I thought, wait, it feels like it's just been a few weeks now. This is pretty incredible that the man who's just been there for 100 days has already gotten so much done.

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Mullens has been very active, by the way, in his new role. He got in a heated altercation with Democrats like Representative Rosa Nalaro from Connecticut during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill. He fought with CNN's Jake Tapper on live television. But again, this interview that he did with Breitbart, he wanted to make it clear that his main focus, one of the biggest things he's trying to do at DHS is expand more local and state law enforcement departments into joining the two 87 grams G program with federal government, he said. That 287 G program says, hey, if you'll help us, just simply hold the individual when you pull them. I don't need you to do immigration enforcement because you're out there and you're in the streets, you're in the community, you're going to run into them anyway, Mullen said, noting that state and local police departments as well as sheriff's departments nationwide regularly encounter illegal aliens. If you can just join the 2 87G program, then you can make the arrest right there on the spot. Mullen said cops nationwide regularly encounter illegal aliens in the course of law enforcement activities. And by working with federal authorities, they can ease immigration enforcement significantly. Say they pull over a trap, a traffic stop or public disturbance or public intoxication, or they just bust the house because they're serving a warrant and there's some illegals there. There's illegal activity at a business, just anything in the day to day operations. There isn't anybody that it touched the public more than the sheriff's department and local PD and state police. Right, State police. So when they're part of the 287 program, they can partner with us. And guess what? When they partner with with us, we reimburse. We'll reimburse you for equipment, we reimburse the time of the officer. You can actually, well, you want to help your apartment, you want to help serve warrants, we'll actually pay for those officers. Full salary for you to go through. In small municipalities and smaller states, they can add officers because they can buy new equipment, they can buy drones, they can buy vehicles. And we help them because we've got a huge influx of illegals that are in this country and some of them, yes, some of them want to work. But 70% of the individuals we arrest on a daily basis with immigration enforcement have either pending felony charges or they've already had felony charges. And a huge percent of those have been released already from sanctuary cities and sanctuary states. So just 100 days in, it's very clear the man in charge of DHS is saying we're just getting started. And he guarantees you this, they're not backing down anytime soon.

Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow.

[Podcast Guest or Co-host]

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