President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has selected Lance Schroyer, a long-tenured law enforcement official from Oklahoma, as his nominee for the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In his statement, the president highlighted Schroyer’s 29-year background in law enforcement, noting that he will be tasked with carrying out the administration’s aggressive enforcement policies against undocumented immigrants.
Calling him a patriot with significant operational experience, Trump stated on social media that Schroyer is a proven leader who has spent decades focused on detaining serious criminals. Schroyer, who is also a former U.S. Marine and previously served as an Oklahoma State Trooper, currently works as a senior advisor to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. According to a source familiar with the appointment, Schroyer was specifically chosen by Mullin, a former Oklahoma senator, due to their longstanding professional relationship.
David Venturella has been serving as the acting director of ICE since taking over for Todd Lyons, who resigned from the post on May 31, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Venturella is expected to remain in the position until Schroyer is officially confirmed. Notably, the agency has not had a director confirmed by the Senate since 2017.
The nomination arrives amidst ongoing scrutiny of the agency. Immigration advocates, local officials, and Democrats have frequently criticized ICE for its tactics, including accusations of racial profiling and overly aggressive operations. Tensions surrounding the agency grew significantly following the January deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were shot in Minneapolis by immigration officers. The vacancy filled by Lyons occurred shortly after the departure of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, whom Trump fired over a month prior to that resignation.
