Amid an ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown and heightened tensions over immigration enforcement, newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stopped in Astoria Wednesday and toured Coast Guard facilities at the mouth of the Columbia River.

Mullin visited U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria in Oregon and the Cape Disappointment Motor Lifeboat School in Washington. Also in attendance were U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat, and Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday.

Social media posts from Mullin said he was there to honor Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, an aviation survival technician who died on March 5 due to injuries he sustained during a rescue operation off the Oregon coast in late February.

“We toured the world class rescue facilities and met with the fearless men and women who protect our maritime borders,” Mullin’s post reads. “Thanks for keeping our country safe.”

According to Gluesenkamp Perez, the tours were intended to support the Coast Guard’s mission and better understand its resource needs. The Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security.

In a statement, Gluesenkamp Perez said that the Coast Guard has not been treated with the same respect or resources as other branches of the military. She said she is looking for answers following Jaggers’ death.

“We need to understand the circumstances of his death and take steps to make sure it never happens again,” she said. “I’m grateful that Secretary Mullin agrees with me about the urgency of this and made a visit here to these Coast Guard stations a priority in the days since he was sworn in as the new leader of DHS.”

Mullin also visited the Fort George Brewery and Public House in downtown Astoria Wednesday evening for a Coast Guard event to honor Jaggers.

Mullin’s visit — specifically news of his presence at Fort George — sparked concern and anger among local activists and other groups. Some said they worried about DHS looking to site an immigrant detention facility on the North Coast, given recent efforts in Newport.

There is no indication that DHS is looking to create such a facility on the North Coast, but some local leaders have suggested measures to make sure it would not be allowed.

The North Coast was a focus of immigration enforcement activities in November and December. Federal agents detained at least a dozen people and early tactics — including face coverings, a lack of identifying gear or clothing, early morning raids and car stops and little to no communication with local law enforcement — prompted strong statements from some leaders and officials.

Zack O’Connor, a senior vice president at Fort George, said Fort George staff did not realize Mullin would be at the brewery on Wednesday.

He said the Coast Guard had reached out about Fort George hosting an event to commemorate Jaggers. Coast Guard representatives told Fort George staff there would be additional security because high ranking Coast Guard officials would be in attendance.

On the day of the event, there was far more security than O’Connor had expected. When Mullin arrived, an employee recognized him and alerted O’Connor. Together they looked up Mullin’s photo and confirmed it was him.

O’Connor said Mullin was in the brewery for about 20 minutes. He spoke briefly with some people in attendance and then left without eating or drinking anything.

“We really appreciate the Coast Guard and what they do for this community,” O’Connor said. “When they ask us if we can host them for an important event… we’re going to be there for them. And outside of that we just try to stay focused on making beer and being good stewards of our community.”

Katie Frankowicz is a reporter with KMUN. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/10/markwayne-mullin-oregon-coast-guard/