Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin said during a Monday press conference that policies under former President Joe Biden's administration contributed to the deaths of hundreds of Americans in crashes involving migrant truck drivers, as reported by Breitbart.

Mullin said officials have counted 239 American deaths involving migrant drivers and argued that many of those incidents could have been prevented.

“These individuals are dangerous, and because of the failure from the previous administration, from the Biden administration, they’ve killed hundreds of people, and unfortunately injured thousands,” Mullin told reporters.

Mullin credited President Donald Trump with taking steps to improve public safety and criticized the previous administration's approach to immigration and commercial trucking.

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“Thank God, President Trump was elected by the American people to restore law and order and safety back onto our streets. Because one death, one permanent injury, is one too many, and it was 100 percent preventable. Who, in the Biden administration, thought it was a great idea to put people on the streets that couldn’t read our road signs, driving 80,000-pound rigs, without even having to take an English test or a driving test?”

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The Biden administration flooded millions of illegal aliens into our country and turned a blind eye to these reckless drivers who can’t even read American road signs. Thanks to @POTUS Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/ZKZKb4FKnf — Secretary Markwayne Mullin (@SecMullinDHS) August 31, 2026

The press conference focused on commercial drivers who entered the United States illegally, as well as concerns involving foreign-born drivers who may be in the country legally but do not meet applicable training and safety requirements.

The Biden administration's immigration policies allowed millions of migrants to enter or remain in the United States, while former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended expanded immigration as part of a broader economic strategy tied to Biden administration policies.

Mullin's remarks drew a challenge from a reporter, who argued that U.S. Department of Transportation statistics showed illegal and foreign drivers accounted for only 1 percent of the overall roadway safety problem.

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“The [conversation] here has been strongly about illegals [and] foreign drivers, but [they] account, according to U.S. DOT stats I see, for one percent of the [safety] issue,” the reporter said.

Mullin responded by arguing that even a small percentage was unacceptable, particularly when deaths and serious injuries could have been prevented.

He pointed to an injured girl standing beside the stage while addressing the reporter.

“Are you saying 1 percent is okay? Because … 1 percent is one [person] too many … Every single illegal that maims or kills an individual is 100 percent preventable. I’m trying to prevent every one of them. I don’t care if it’s a fraction of 1 percent — I’m coming after you. I’m removing you from the road because it should never take place … Every death at the hands of an illegal is one too many … Are you willing to take that 1 percent if it was your daughter?”

“Every single illegal that maims or kills an individual is 100% percent preventable. I’m trying to prevent every one of them…I’m coming after you, I’m removing you from the road because it should never take place. EVERY death at a hands of an illegal is one too many.”… pic.twitter.com/vPrPcUKy6y

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 31, 2026

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also responded to the question, saying the administration's concerns extend beyond drivers who entered the country illegally.

“This does have to do with those who’ve come into the country illegally, but it also has to do with people who are in the country lawfully, but they’re not being trained, and they’re not following the laws and the rules we’ve set up to keep Americans safe on the roadway.”

According to the information presented at the press conference, Duffy and his deputies have removed more than 30,000 drivers from the road and shut down more than 250 driving schools as part of enforcement efforts. Officials have also counted 239 deaths involving migrant drivers.

THIS IS NOT OK: Small, multi-generational trucking companies are getting pushed out of business because they can’t compete with ILLEGAL operators and FRAUDSTERS undercutting the market

With @SecMullinDHS we are cracking down, leveling the playing field, and putting LEGAL… pic.twitter.com/VWvjX17eiw — USDOT Rapid Response (@USDOTRapid) August 31, 2026

The exchange highlighted the administration's broader effort to tighten oversight of commercial drivers while drawing attention to immigration enforcement, driver training and roadway safety.

Mullin argued that the government should act regardless of what percentage migrant or foreign drivers represent in broader transportation safety statistics, maintaining that preventable deaths should remain a priority.

The issue is likely to remain part of the ongoing debate over immigration policy, commercial licensing, and federal transportation enforcement as the Trump administration continues its effort to increase scrutiny of drivers and training programs operating across the country.

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