On Monday, United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin visited the state of Nebraska, where he hosted a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) roundtable and then met with an Angel Family.
At Omaha Fire Station #1, Secretary Mullin hosted a roundtable to discuss recent actions by FEMA to deliver disaster relief to the people of Nebraska. He was joined by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, Omaha Fire Department Chief Kathy Bossman, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 7 Jay A. Van Der Werff, FEMA Region 7 Executive Officer Ryan Lowry-Lee, Government Relations Manager Seth Voyles, and Douglas County Emergency Management Director Whitney Shipley.
“I appreciate the work you guys are doing in public service. You’re constantly out there fighting,” said Secretary Mullin. “Our goal and focus in FEMA is a little different than it has been in the past. It’s a constant battle of figuring out how we can cut the red tape and allow local authorities to have the ability to go out, respond, and get refunded faster. So we’re constantly looking at how to better streamline that process. That is the number one conversation we have with President Trump. Every time we talk with him, it is about FEMA and how to reorganize it and get it back to what it was intended for.”
After the roundtable, Secretary Mullin went to a DHS facility in Omaha where he met with the family of Sarah Root, the 21-year-old student who had just graduated college in Nebraska when, in January 2016, she was killed in Douglas County by an illegal alien in a drunk-driving crash. The suspect’s blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit. After he was released on bond in February 2016, he fled the country to evade prosecution.
They were joined in the meeting by three of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents who were crucial in bringing Sarah’s killer to justice by extraditing him in March 2025. He was convicted and sentenced in February 2026 to 21 years in prison.
After this meeting, Secretary Mullin held a press conference with the Root Family, Senator Ricketts, and HSI Des Moines Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Cardiel.
Secretary Mullin holds a press conference with (from left to right) HSI Des Moines Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Cardiel, Senator Pete Ricketts, Sarah Root’s mother Michelle, Sarah’s father Scott, and Sarah’s brother Scott.
Sarah’s mother Michelle holding her portrait
Sarah’s mother Michelle speaks at the press conference
“I’ve said this multiple times, but one death at the hands of an illegal is 100% preventable,” said Secretary Mullin. “It should never take place. You should never have to stand up with Angel Families. There shouldn’t even be a term for this. But the truth is, unfortunately, there is a need for it. President Trump made it a mission when he came into office to eliminate as many of these deaths as possible, by taking these individuals who are illegally in our country off our streets and out of our country. The Department of Homeland Security enforces our nation’s laws. If you chose to come into this country illegally, you chose to break our laws. It is our job to hunt you down and send you back to where you came from.”
After the press conference, Secretary Mullin toured the facility.
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