Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the federal government must treat the identities provided by people who entered the United States illegally with skepticism, arguing that law enforcement cannot simply assume the information they provide is accurate.

During an exchange with Dana Bash, Mullin framed the issue around national security and border enforcement, saying Americans had grown frustrated with what he described as lawlessness and an open-border approach under the Biden administration.

“That's what we do. So the American people remember they got tired of the lawlessness that was taking place underneath the Biden administration,” Mullin said.

“They were tired of our open borders because of Biden administration.”

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Mullin then pointed to terrorism-related arrests made during President Donald Trump’s current term.

The Department of Homeland Security recently said ICE arrested more than 2,150 people it classifies as known or suspected terrorists between Jan. 20, 2025, and Sept. 9, 2026.

“Keep in mind, we've arrested 2,150 terrorists that were let into this country underneath Biden, and we've arrested them underneath President Trump's leadership,” Mullin said. “Guess what, every one of those terrorists gave a fake name.”

Bash interrupted to clarify the claim.

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“Terrorists?” she asked.

Mullin doubled down on the distinction he was making.

“Yes, 2,150 terrorists, not terrorist watch list, terrorists,” Mullin said.

He argued that the use of false identities by people arrested in terrorism-related cases demonstrates why federal authorities cannot rely solely on information provided by people who entered the country illegally.

“Every one of those that came in that country came in the country gave a fake name,” Mullin said.

From there, Mullin explained how that concern shapes his approach to immigration enforcement.

“So, I got to make the assumption every time we arrest somebody that is that came in this country illegally, I've got to assume that I don't know everything about you, and I'm not going to take your word for it,” Mullin said.

He said law enforcement must verify an individual’s identity rather than accept a name or other personal information without further scrutiny.

“I'm going to run you in to make sure that I know who you are and who you say you are,” Mullin said.

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The exchange focused on the broader problem of identity verification at the border and during immigration enforcement operations.

Mullin’s argument was that authorities face an added national security risk when an individual enters the country under a false identity or provides information that cannot immediately be confirmed.

His comments also emphasized the difficulty of determining a person’s background once they are already inside the country.

If an individual has used an alias, fake documents, or another false identity, Mullin argued that law enforcement must take additional steps to determine who that person actually is.

For Mullin, the issue goes beyond routine immigration enforcement and directly into national security.

He said authorities must assume they may not have complete or accurate information when dealing with illegal entrants.

The central point of his exchange with Bash was that federal agents should not simply accept identity claims at face value.

Instead, Mullin said the government has a responsibility to conduct thorough checks to verify who a person is before making decisions involving immigration status, detention or removal.

His remarks came as the Trump administration continues emphasizing border enforcement and counterterrorism as linked national security priorities, with DHS recently highlighting the arrest and removal of people it classifies as known or suspected terrorists.

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