The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to lead the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The announcement was made on Thursday, but no reason was provided for the decision. Schroyer, who is a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, was nominated by President Donald Trump in June but had not yet received a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky and chair of the committee, had refused to hold a hearing until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided information regarding civilian deaths during ICE enforcement operations. Paul stated, "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." He learned of Schroyer's withdrawal when the White House made the decision public.
Schroyer had limited experience in immigration and had not previously worked at ICE or led a major law enforcement agency. Two U.S. officials informed Reuters that his nomination was unexpected. When announcing Schroyer’s nomination in June, Trump stated on Truth Social that Schroyer had "firsthand experience getting Illegal Aliens OFF our streets" and urged the Senate to confirm him "IMMEDIATELY."
The withdrawal occurs amid ongoing scrutiny of ICE's enforcement operations as the Trump administration continues its immigration policies. Critics have raised concerns about the agency's recruitment and training practices as it expanded its workforce. Federal immigration officers have been involved in multiple fatal incidents during enforcement operations, including the shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.
ICE arrests have increased, reaching nearly 51,000 in August, the highest monthly total during Trump’s second administration. The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017, with David Venturella currently serving as acting director following Todd Lyons' resignation earlier this year. The White House has not indicated when it might announce a new nominee to lead ICE.