President Donald Trump nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper with over 29 years of law enforcement experience, as the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
Schroyer currently serves as a senior advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the first Senate-confirmed ICE director since 2017, ending an 11-year period in which the agency has operated under acting leadership only.
Trump praised Schroyer on Truth Social as “a PATRIOT with real operational experience” and a “proven leader with DECADES of experience.” The president highlighted Schroyer’s background as a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine, emphasizing his law enforcement credentials. Trump wrote that Schroyer “has what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals” and urged the Senate to “CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY.”
Schroyer’s experience includes leading large-scale enforcement operations in Oklahoma under the 287(g) program, which allows ICE to deputize state and local law enforcement officers to perform certain immigration enforcement duties. Mullin, himself a fellow Oklahoman, noted in a statement that Schroyer is “coming straight from the operational field where he ran large scale operations and worked alongside state and federal partners to remove illegal aliens from Oklahoma.”
The nomination comes as Trump’s administration has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of its second-term agenda. ICE has expanded workplace raids and interior enforcement operations, increasingly relying on partnerships with state and local law enforcement through 287(g) agreements. The agency has operated without a Senate-confirmed director since Sarah Saldaña’s term ended in 2017 at the close of the Obama administration.
Schroyer will replace acting ICE director David Venturella, who has led the agency since June 1, 2026, following the May resignation of Todd Lyons. Lyons, who had served as acting director since March 2025, announced in April that he would step down at the end of May, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. His departure came amid intense scrutiny of ICE operations, including allegations of excessive force and civil liberties violations during enforcement activities in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Mullin emphasized the significance of filling the director position permanently. “It has been 11 years since DHS has had a Senate confirmed ICE Director,” he wrote Saturday. “The Senate must quickly confirm Lance Schroyer.” Trump echoed the urgency, writing: “The Senate must CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY — Do not delay. Together, we will MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”
Sources
- Politico — Trump’s nomination of Schroyer, his background, and confirmation that he would be the first Senate-confirmed director since 2017
- Al Jazeera — Details on Schroyer’s law enforcement experience, the 11-year absence of a confirmed director, and context on ICE operations and scrutiny
- CNN — Confirmation that Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine with nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience
- AP News — Information on Todd Lyons’ resignation timeline and David Venturella’s appointment as acting director
- ABC News — Details on Lyons’ departure and Venturella’s succession in June 2026
- DHS Official Statement — Markwayne Mullin’s praise of Schroyer’s nomination and operational background
