By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-08-01 10:21:54 | Updated at 2026-08-01 16:44:49
6 hours ago
Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) repeatedly tried to shut down Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin after he challenged the numbers behind her attack on the Trump administration’s immigration detention system. Underwood accused DHS of overseeing medical neglect, overcrowding, abuse, and a historically high detainee death rate, only for Mullin to respond that her figures were inaccurate. When he began comparing federal detention facilities with prisons in her own state, the Illinois Democrat insisted that it was her time and demanded that he stop speaking.
The heated exchange unfolded during a congressional hearing where Underwood questioned Mullin about deaths involving illegal aliens and detainees held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. The Democrat pointed to a recent visit she made to the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, claiming detainees there had described long delays in receiving medication and treatment. She then attempted to press Mullin on whether DHS had adopted specific internal policies intended to reduce deaths in custody.
“To address another deeply concerning matter, detainees who died while in your custody, Secretary Mullin,” Underwood began. She claimed that the detention system had been “plagued by medical neglect, abuse, overcrowding, and a historically high death rate” since President Donald Trump returned to office. Underwood said people at the Indiana facility told her that medication refills could take months, including medication needed to treat serious illnesses such as diabetes.
Underwood also claimed that other detainees had been left without treatment for infected boils and additional medical conditions. She said it was “no surprise” that a detainee died shortly after her visit and asserted that more detainees died in ICE custody during 2025 than in any previous year. “Does DHS have any official, specific internal goals or policies to reduce deaths in custody?” she asked, according to the clip posted to X.
Mullin immediately challenged the entire premise of her line of questioning. “Ma’am, your numbers just aren’t accurate,” the DHS secretary responded. “We’ve had 0.009 percent. You’re asking about this. It’s 0.009 percent of deaths, and we’ve had 54 total in the president’s time.” Underwood began speaking over him and called for the chairman as Mullin attempted to finish his answer.
“Those are dangerous accusations you’re making,” Mullin told her. He then turned the discussion toward Underwood’s home state, saying that a person was twice as likely to die in an Illinois state penitentiary as in a federal immigration detention center. “This is my time,” Underwood protested as the secretary continued. “You are invited to this committee.”
Watch Mullin confront Underwood over her bogus numbers here:
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https://x.com/RichSementa/status/2070177230227915197
Mullin pushed back after Underwood insisted that she was informed about the conditions inside the facilities. “And you need to be informed by what you’re saying,” he told her. When Underwood replied, “I am informed,” Mullin answered directly, “No, you’re not, ma’am.” She then tried to repeat her question about DHS policies, but Mullin continued laying out his comparison with Illinois.
“Do you realize that we have one doctor per 1,000 for our federal detention centers?” Mullin asked. He said Illinois prisons, by comparison, had one doctor for approximately every 1,800 inmates. “But yet she wants to focus on our detention centers,” he added as Underwood again appealed to the chairman and demanded control of the hearing. The chairman finally told Mullin, “You’ll get your time,” prompting Underwood to say, “Thank you,” and the chairman to simply reply, “You’re welcome.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.
