Trump nominates – President Donald Trump says he will nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine, to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, urging the Senate to confirm him immediately as ICE continues to operate under an acting director.
Saturday didn’t bring a lot of ceremony—just a post on Truth Social and a direct message to the Senate.
President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Lance Schroyer. a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine. to be the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump framed the pick as someone who has worked ICE’s mission on the ground. saying Schroyer has “firsthand experience getting Illegal Aliens OFF our streets” and that he “LOVES the men and women of ICE. ” adding the sentiment “just like ME and our Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.”.
Trump also described Schroyer as a “proven leader” with over 29 years of law enforcement experience in Oklahoma. He urged the Senate to immediately confirm him.
ICE sits under the Department of Homeland Security. and it has been central to Trump’s push to crack down on illegal immigration. The nomination arrives while ICE is still led by acting leadership: longtime immigration official David Venturella is serving as acting ICE director. after the previous acting director. Todd Lyons. stepped down this spring. The department has been without a Senate-confirmed ICE director since the Obama administration—something Mullin says matters.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Schroyer is a “great pick” and told readers directly what he expects from the change in leadership. In a statement. Mullin said he is “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. who represented Oklahoma in the Senate. emphasized where Schroyer comes from: Schroyer is “coming straight from the operational field.” Mullin said Schroyer worked alongside state and federal partners under the 287(g) program. which allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to perform specific immigration enforcement duties under federal supervision.
Mullin also pressed the Senate on the urgency of the confirmation, saying: “It has been 11 years since the Department of Homeland Security has had a Senate confirmed ICE Director.” In his view, the next step is straightforward—“The Senate must quickly confirm Lance Schroyer.”
The nomination lands after a turbulent period for ICE and DHS. Lyons. a veteran of the agency who was tasked with overseeing the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan. faced intense scrutiny as the agency ramped up arrests last year. The attention intensified after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in January.
Mullin took the reins in March after Trump fired Kristi Noem. Since then, he has begun to make some policy changes, but he faces pressure from lawmakers—including Republicans—to move further in how the embattled department operates.
Even in a confirmation hearing, Mullin suggested changes to how ICE is deployed around the country. He told senators. “I would love to see ICE become more a transport than on the front line.” That stance sits alongside his long support for Trump’s immigration crackdown. framing a tension that lawmakers and ICE personnel will be watching as a Senate-confirmed director moves from promise to power.
With Schroyer now formally in the nomination pipeline, the question is no longer whether the administration wants tighter enforcement—it’s who will steer ICE’s next decisions after years of acting leadership and public controversy.
Trump Lance Schroyer ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement Markwayne Mullin Senate confirmation 287(g) David Venturella Todd Lyons Homeland Security Oklahoma state trooper Marine
ICE getting a new boss again, huh.
So he’s a former state trooper and Marine… that’s supposed to make him good at deporting people? I mean I get the point but “immediately confirm” feels rushed. Didn’t they already have someone acting?
“Getting illegal aliens off our streets” sounds like it’s mostly about crime, but it’s like they never define what they mean. Acting director, Obama times, now this dude. Honestly I’m confused because ICE is always in the news for the wrong reasons anyway.
I saw this and thought Lance Schroyer was already ICE, like he’s been in charge the whole time?? Also the Senate confirmation part… they’re gonna do it fast because he’s a Marine? I just don’t trust any of this, like they say “deport criminal illegal aliens” but it ends up being everyone. Plus “Truth Social post” isn’t exactly a briefing.