Homan wants a reset with Trump’s soon-to-be DHS chief

The border czar is making a concerted effort to quickly build a relationship with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the president's pick to lead DHS.

Illustration by Bill Kuchman/POLITICO (source images via Getty Images and AP)

Tensions between border czar Tom Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ran so high over the last year that they barely spoke. Homan is determined to avoid a repeat.

Homan is making a concerted effort to quickly build a relationship with Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Noem at the Department of Homeland Security, according to three people close to the administration who are familiar with the efforts. The border czar has already introduced Mullin to key Trump allies, as well as players in the immigration policy space, as the senator gears up to take the reins at the sprawling government agency responsible for some of the president’s top policy priorities.

It’s a way for Homan, a 40-year veteran of immigration enforcement, to exert his influence and serve as an adviser to the White House and DHS, hovering between both worlds. It’s how Homan allies hoped his border czar role would work when Trump returned to office, but his toxic relationship with Noem — and her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski — froze him out of key decisions, fueling a disjointed enforcement effort.

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