Markwayne Mullin confirmed as Department of Homeland Security head

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 became a first-time senator after winning a special election, but previously had served as a US representative in the lower house of Congress for 10 years. A staunch Trump supporter, Mullin has been complimentary of the administration's signature promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants. In a relatively quick confirmation process, Mullin was nominated by the president 5 March, then questioned during hearings before both the House and Senate committees. "President Trump ran on rest