WASHINGTON, United States – President Donald Trump’s administration has withdrawn the nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ending the former Oklahoma state trooper’s bid to become the agency’s permanent director.
The White House formally listed Richard Schroyer’s nomination among those withdrawn from Senate consideration on Sept. 17. The notice did not provide a reason for the withdrawal.
Schroyer had been nominated in June to lead ICE, the agency responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws within the United States. He was serving as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin when Trump selected him for the position.
The withdrawal leaves ICE without a Senate-confirmed director and returns the agency to acting leadership under David Venturella. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017.
Nomination ends before Senate hearing
Schroyer’s nomination had been sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in July. The committee’s public nominations record lists Richard Schroyer as a nominee for assistant secretary of Homeland Security, the formal title under which the ICE director nomination was submitted.
A confirmation hearing had not taken place before the White House withdrew the nomination.
Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the committee, had said he wanted information from the Department of Homeland Security concerning investigations into fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents before moving ahead with the nomination. Paul told The Associated Press that his concern was obtaining an update on those investigations, rather than opposition to Schroyer personally.
Paul said he had intended to hold a hearing but learned that the nomination had been withdrawn when the White House announced the decision.
Schroyer’s background
Schroyer is a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol major and Marine who worked closely with Mullin before joining the Department of Homeland Security as a senior adviser.
During his time with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Schroyer was involved in the state’s cooperation with ICE through the federal 287(g) program, which allows participating state and local law-enforcement officers to perform certain immigration-enforcement functions under federal authority. He was also deputized to make immigration arrests after completing federal training.
When Trump announced the nomination in June, he described Schroyer as an experienced law-enforcement officer and called for the Senate to confirm him. Mullin also publicly supported the nomination.
Schroyer did not previously serve as the director of ICE or as the head of a large federal law-enforcement agency. That background became part of the discussion surrounding his nomination.
ICE remains under acting leadership
The withdrawal means ICE will continue operating without a Senate-confirmed director.
David Venturella, a former executive at private prison operator GEO Group and a longtime immigration official, is serving as acting director after Todd Lyons left the position earlier this year.
The absence of a confirmed director is not new for ICE. The agency’s last Senate-confirmed director was Sarah Saldaña, who left the position in 2017. Since then, the agency has been led by acting directors.
The Trump administration has not announced a replacement nominee.
Withdrawal comes during expanded enforcement
The nomination was withdrawn as ICE has expanded its immigration-enforcement operations under Trump’s second administration.
ICE arrests reached nearly 51,000 in August, according to figures reported by the Associated Press, the highest monthly total during Trump’s second term. The agency has also faced scrutiny over recruitment, training and enforcement operations.
The administration has made immigration enforcement a central part of its domestic policy agenda, while congressional lawmakers have continued to debate the agency’s operations and oversight.
The White House’s decision does not change ICE’s statutory responsibilities or the agency’s existing enforcement authority. It removes the current nominee from the confirmation process and leaves the administration to determine its next choice for permanent leadership.
No replacement announced
The White House’s withdrawal notice provided no explanation for the decision and did not identify another nominee for the position.
The immediate consequence is that Venturella remains in charge on an acting basis while the administration considers another candidate.
The next nomination will have to go through the Senate confirmation process, including consideration by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, before a permanent ICE director can take office.
Reporting Credit: The White House — formal withdrawal of Richard Schroyer’s nomination; U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs — nomination status and committee record; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — agency leadership and operational information; Department of Homeland Security — Schroyer’s federal immigration-enforcement background.
