Markwayne Mullin, the Homeland Security Secretary, just stripped Rashida Tlaib of the right to sponsor refugees from overseas.
The decision came after the Michigan congresswoman was caught putting her name behind three men Israel has flagged as Hamas supporters. According to DHS officials, the men had applied for entry through a program that allows sponsors in the United States to vouch for refugees, and Tlaib’s name was on all three applications.
Mullin didn’t waste time. The three men were flown right back to Jordan. Tlaib was informed right then that any applicant she sends from here on out is an automatic no.
“We don’t wait around for something bad to happen,” Mullin told reporters at a press conference in Washington. “When you get a red flag like this, you act.”
According to Mullin, none of the three has done anything about their radical views so far. But he made it clear he isn’t willing to take the chance.
“It’s only a question of when,” he said.
The men had reportedly arrived in the U.S. only a few days before officials caught the problem. A DHS spokesperson said a routine background review turned up information shared by Israeli intelligence, including social media posts and associations that raised serious concerns.
“Sponsors are supposed to know who they’re vouching for,” the spokesperson said. “Either she didn’t check, or she didn’t care. Neither one is acceptable.”
Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, has long been one of the sharpest critics of Israel in Washington. She has accused the Israeli government of war crimes and has pushed for more humanitarian aid to Gaza. Her critics say she has repeatedly crossed the line into defending terrorists.
Her office pushed back hard on the decision. In a statement, it called the move “a racist attack on a Palestinian-American woman for helping people escape a humanitarian catastrophe.” Her staff said the men were vetted refugees and that Israel’s claims were politically motivated.
“Congresswoman Tlaib will not be intimidated,” the statement said.
Republicans largely cheered the decision. Several GOP lawmakers praised Mullin for moving quickly and said it was a sign that the administration takes national security seriously. A few went further and called for Tlaib to be removed from Congress altogether.
“She vouched for three guys tied to Hamas,” one Republican congressman said. “What more do you need?”
Some Democrats came to her defense, saying the punishment was based on unproven claims. Others stayed quiet.
Mullin, who took over at DHS after years in the Senate, has built a reputation as a no-nonsense leader. Before politics, he was a mixed martial arts fighter and ran a plumbing business in Oklahoma. His supporters say that background shows in how he handles problems.
“He’s not a guy who sits on things,” one former aide said. “If he sees a threat, he deals with it.” Fast action like this is what people voted for. Tlaib should be thrown out of Congress.