By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper with 29 years of law enforcement experience, to serve as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Trump characterized Schroyer as a former U.S. Marine and a “proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst” who possesses “real operational experience.”
- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, also from Oklahoma, praised the nomination in a statement and noted that DHS recently hired Schroyer to work on federal immigration enforcement programs.
- ICE has been undergoing massive expansion with $75 billion in funding allocated last year, resulting in the hiring of 12,000 officers and expanded detention capacity.
- Schroyer will require Senate confirmation; the agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration, with David Venturella currently serving as acting director.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he intends to nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, as the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, positioning the agency that serves as a central tool in his mass deportation plans.
Trump announced the nomination via his Truth Social platform, describing Schroyer as a former U.S. Marine and a “PATRIOT with real operational experience.” Trump stated Schroyer is a “proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst.”
Schroyer, from Oklahoma, comes from the same state as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former congressman. Earlier this month, Mullin publicly introduced Schroyer at a National Sheriffs’ Association event, calling him a “good friend” and noting that DHS had recently brought him on board.
Mullin quickly issued a statement supporting the nomination Saturday, emphasizing Schroyer’s 29-year law enforcement career and his recent work with federal and state partners on immigration enforcement programs.
“President Trump made a great pick, and I’m confident Lance’s strong leadership and firsthand experience will empower the men and women of ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens, secure the homeland, and protect the American people,” Mullin stated.
Trump has built his political platform around promises of mass deportations, and ICE has become the central agency executing that policy. The agency received $75 billion in a single appropriation last year, allowing for the recruitment and hiring of 12,000 new officers and expanded detention capacity nationwide.
Schroyer faces Senate confirmation proceedings, which political observers anticipate will present significant challenges. However, experts noted that his background in state and local law enforcement rather than federal service may provide advantages during consideration.
Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former senior ICE official, noted that historically confirmed ICE directors have frequently come from legal backgrounds, though law enforcement appointments have occurred. She suggested Mullin likely influenced the selection based on their shared Oklahoma roots and the political stakes surrounding ICE oversight.
John Torres, another former senior ICE official, acknowledged the difficult confirmation path Schroyer will face but noted potential advantages of his state and local background rather than federal experience. Torres stated Schroyer would not carry baggage from prior administrations, preventing critics from associating him with previous policies or controversies.
The nomination follows the resignation of Todd Lyons as ICE director at the end of May. David Venturella, a former executive at a private prison operator, has been serving as acting director of the agency and is expected to remain in that capacity until Schroyer secures Senate confirmation, according to a DHS official.
ICE has been without a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration, a gap resulting from intense partisan disagreement over immigration policy and the agency’s role in enforcement operations.