DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Meets Lumbee Tribe Leaders in North Carolina, Highlights Working With Tribal Nations
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on October 24 that Secretary Markwayne Mullin met with leaders of the Lumbee Tribe and delivered remarks in Lumberton, North Carolina, on Friday, highlighting the importance of working with tribal nations.
Secretary Mullin was joined by John Lowery, chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina; William Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs; and Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07).
"If we don't enforce our nation's laws, we become a lawless nation and that makes us a third-world country. And that's unique because we have those unique challenges also on reservations. All throughout Indian Country, we have these same challenges, and we can see what happens. It can erode the society that we grew up in," Secretary Mullin said. "And I know who's standing there with us to enforce our nation's laws, it's the Lumbees."
"You guys never gave up on the fight. You guys were fighting from one generation to the next generation to the next generation to be recognized. And it's the generation that's sitting in front of me that accomplished it because you never gave up," Secretary Mullin said. "And as Secretary of Homeland Security, I'm never giving up fighting for my backyard and fighting for your backyard."
In December 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed legislation into law adding the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to the official list of federally recognized tribes, according to DHS.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国土安全部（DHS）2026年10月发布的官方照片：印第安事务助理部长 William Kirkland（左）、Lumbee 部落主席 John Lowery（中）与国土安全部长 Markwayne Mullin 在北卡罗来纳州 Lumberton。来源：美国国土安全部 DHS，公共领域。 / Photo: Official U.S. Department of Homeland Security photo, October 2026: Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland (left), Lumbee Tribe Chairman John Lowery (center) and Secretary Markwayne Mullin in Lumberton, North Carolina. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, public domain.
