Secretary Mullin of the Department of Homeland Security met with Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Chairman John Lowery, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland, and Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07). The meeting addressed law enforcement and partnership between federal and tribal governments.
"If we don't enforce our nation's laws, we become a lawless nation and that makes us a third-world country," Mullin said. He noted that law enforcement challenges exist throughout Indian Country and that proper enforcement is necessary to preserve tribal communities.
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina was federally recognized in December 2025, when President Donald J. Trump signed legislation adding the tribe to the official list of federally recognized tribes. Mullin acknowledged the tribe's sustained effort over generations to achieve federal recognition.