President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper with nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, as the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Schroyer, who served as an Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine, currently works as a senior advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Trump praised him as a “PATRIOT with real operational experience” in a Truth Social post, calling him a “proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst.”
Mullin, who represented Oklahoma in the Senate before joining the Cabinet, quickly endorsed the nomination. “With over 29 years of law enforcement experience, Lance will play a vital role in helping deliver on the President’s mandate from the American people,” Mullin said in a statement. He noted that Schroyer is “coming straight from the operational field,” having led large-scale enforcement efforts alongside state and federal partners in Oklahoma.
Schroyer’s background includes leading ICE partnerships under the 287(g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement officers to perform immigration enforcement duties under federal supervision. This experience positions him to oversee the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement operations, which have emphasized workplace raids and interior enforcement while relying more heavily on state and local cooperation.
Path to a Confirmed Director
If confirmed by the Senate, Schroyer would become the first Senate-confirmed ICE director since 2014, ending an 11-year period in which the agency has operated under acting leadership. “It has been 11 years since DHS has had a Senate confirmed ICE Director,” Mullin wrote Saturday. “The Senate must quickly confirm Lance Schroyer.”
Schroyer would replace David Venturella, a career ICE official who has served as acting director since May 2026. Venturella previously led the agency after Todd Lyons, the embattled ICE chief who faced intense scrutiny over controversial enforcement tactics and fatal incidents involving federal agents, stepped down in spring 2026.
The nomination comes as the Trump administration continues to prioritize immigration enforcement as a centerpiece of its second-term agenda. While Tom Homan holds the separate role of border czar overseeing broader immigration policy, Schroyer’s confirmation would place him at the helm of the agency responsible for conducting deportations and managing detention operations across the country.
Sources
- CNN — Trump’s announcement of Schroyer’s nomination and his 29 years of law enforcement experience
- Politico — Schroyer’s background in the 287(g) program and confirmation that he would be the first Senate-confirmed ICE director since 2014
- Department of Homeland Security (official statement) — Mullin’s endorsement and description of Schroyer’s experience
- Al Jazeera — Trump’s praise for Schroyer’s experience and Marine service
