White House Withdraws Trump’s ICE Director Nominee After Rand Paul Stalls Confirmation
The White House withdrew President Trump’s nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday after his confirmation stalled in the Senate, leaving the agency without a permanent Senate-confirmed director.
Schroyer, a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer and Marine, was nominated by Trump in June. He had been serving as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a longtime friend who strongly supported putting Schroyer in charge of ICE.
The White House announced the withdrawal without providing a public explanation. Schroyer’s nomination had faced resistance in the Senate, where Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul declined to move forward with a confirmation hearing until the administration provided information he had requested.
Paul had been seeking additional records concerning investigations into fatal encounters involving immigration officers. The Kentucky Republican did not publicly declare outright opposition to Schroyer, but his refusal to schedule a confirmation hearing effectively prevented the nomination from advancing through the committee.
Schroyer also faced questions about his experience. Although he spent decades in Oklahoma law enforcement, critics of the nomination pointed to his limited background in federal immigration enforcement and lack of experience managing an agency as large as ICE.
His nomination also exposed disagreements within the administration. The Wall Street Journal reported that border czar Tom Homan opposed the selection, while Mullin and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller were among those who supported Schroyer for the position.
ICE is currently being led on an acting basis by David Venturella, who took over in June after Todd Lyons left the position. The agency has played a central role in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts and has operated without a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration.
Paul and Mullin have previously clashed. Paul opposed Mullin’s nomination to become Homeland Security secretary earlier this year following a contentious confirmation hearing, although Mullin was ultimately confirmed by the Senate.
The administration has not announced who will replace Schroyer as its nominee. Until another candidate is selected and confirmed by the Senate, Venturella is expected to continue overseeing ICE in an acting capacity.