Trump Withdraws Lance Schroyer Nomination for ICE Director

President Donald Trump withdrew the nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, was nominated in June to oversee the administration's mass deportation campaign. The White House provided no official reason for the withdrawal.

The nomination stalled in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee under Chairman Rand Paul. Paul delayed scheduling a confirmation hearing while requesting information regarding Department of Homeland Security investigations into the January deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. While Paul's office later denied blocking the nomination and stated he had no specific concern with Schroyer, other reports indicate internal opposition from Department of Homeland Security officials and White House border czar Tom Homan, who questioned Schroyer's immigration policy experience.

The withdrawal reportedly blindsided Secretary Mullin, who had previously praised Schroyer as a great pick. ICE has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since 2017 and continues to be led by acting director David Venturella. The vacancy persists as the agency intensifies its immigration crackdown, with arrests peaking at nearly 51,000 in August.