The White House has withdrawn the nomination of former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer to serve as director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The announcement was made on Thursday, with no reason provided for the decision.
Schroyer, who serves as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, was nominated by President Donald Trump in June. However, he had not yet received a confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The nomination had been blocked by Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky and the committee chair, who refused to proceed until the Department of Homeland Security provided data regarding civilian fatalities during ICE enforcement actions.
“I don’t have a concern with who the nominee was. I had asked them to give me an update on the internal investigation into civilian deaths,” Paul told the Associated Press. He stated that he intended to hold the hearing but learned of the withdrawal only after the White House made the decision public.
Schroyer’s selection was considered unexpected by some observers, as he lacked prior experience in immigration policy or leadership at ICE or other major law enforcement agencies. Upon announcing the nomination in June, Trump praised Schroyer on Truth Social, citing his “firsthand experience getting Illegal Aliens OFF our streets” and urging immediate Senate confirmation.
The withdrawal occurs as ICE faces intensified scrutiny over its enforcement tactics during the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown. Critics have questioned the recruitment and training protocols for officers as the agency rapidly expanded its workforce. Federal immigration officers have shot and killed several individuals during operations, including two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.
ICE arrests have risen steadily, reaching nearly 51,000 in August—the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term. The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017, with David Venturella currently serving as acting director following the resignation of Todd Lyons earlier this year. The White House has not indicated when a new nominee might be announced.
Finally, some accountability for civilian deaths. Hope the Senate insists on transparency before the next pick.
Another name pulled without explanation. What else is the administration hiding about those enforcement fatalities?
Does anyone else find it odd they picked someone with zero immigration policy background? The fit seemed off from the start.
Wait, no confirmed director since 2017? That’s nearly a decade of acting leadership running such a massive agency.
Interesting that Paul blocked it over civilian deaths, not Schroyer’s lack of experience. This screams political maneuvering.