WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin promised to adopt a better approach on immigration enforcement during a three-hour Senate Homeland Security Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday considering his nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin pledged that as Secretary of Homeland Security he would protect everybody.

"I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of homeland I'll be protecting everybody," Mullin said at the hearing. "My goal in six months is that we're not in the lead story every single day."

The confirmation hearing occurred after Kristi Noem was fired earlier this month following bipartisan scrutiny of her leadership during congressional hearings. Topics at the hearing included reopening the Department of Homeland Security during a partial government shutdown, the potential growth of Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers across the United States, and the use of judicial warrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security had gone without funding since February after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement. "Sometimes it's political theater, sometimes it's true differences. But what we do know is that we're playing with fire. We have 280,000 employees right now that are on day 30 without pay, and they're still showing up every single day to do their job," Mullin said.

Senator Rand Paul asked Mullin if he believes political disputes can be resolved by violence, referencing Mullin's past statements about historical precedents such as caning and dueling between lawmakers. "I don't always agree with that. I don't believe in political violence. I've made that very clear," he said. Paul criticized Mullin for remarks he made after Paul was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, saying "It's been illegal for 170 years."

"We've got serious management problems at DHS, and we need somebody steering the ship," Senator John Kennedy said. Kennedy told Mullin that a full audit of the Department of Homeland Security is needed.

Michigan Senator Gary Peters questioned Mullin about his previous comments regarding Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man who was shot and killed in January by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis. Mullin expressed regret for his previous remarks about Pretti and said he would not make similar comments if confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security, though he would not apologize to Pretti's family until the investigation is complete.

Senator Richard Blumenthal asked Mullin about his stance on securing judicial warrants before entering homes or businesses. Mullin said he would require judicial warrants to enter homes or businesses unless agents were actively pursuing someone inside. Senator Andy Kim asked if he would consult with communities before opening planned detention centers, and he said he would talk to community leaders, including calling the mayor and visiting towns where facilities were planned.

"I'm going to bring peace of mind and security to this country, and I'm going to stay laser focused on that," Mullin said. The Senate Homeland Security committee expected to vote on Mullin's nomination Thursday before advancing it to a full Senate vote.