US Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin as homeland security chief

The US Senate has voted to approve Senator Markwayne Mullin as the country's new head of the Department of Homeland Security.

The 54-45 vote was the final step in a rapid approval process. Once sworn in, Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter with a fiery personality, will oversee the nation's immigration enforcement, border protection and airport security.

President Donald Trump nominated Mullin this month after removing former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from the position.

The department remains embattled. A partial government shutdown stemming from immigration enforcement blunders has deprived much of its services of funding, though DHS remains central to Trump's immigration promises.

Mullin was a mixed martial arts fighter and first-time senator. He also served as a US representative in the lower house of Congress for 10 years before winning his Senate seat in a special election.

A staunch Trump supporter, Mullin has been complimentary of the administration's signature promise to crack down on detaining undocumented immigrants.

In a relatively quick confirmation process, Mullin was nominated by the president 5 March, which was followed by hearings before both the House and Senate committees.

"President Trump ran on restoring law and order, and he quickly delivered the most secure U.S. border in American history. I look forward to supporting @POTUS' mission to safeguard the American people and defend the homeland," he wrote on X.