President Donald Trump nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, as the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday, tapping a law enforcement veteran with nearly three decades of experience to lead the federal agency at the center of the administration’s deportation effort.
Schroyer, who currently serves as senior advisor to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, would replace acting ICE director David Venturella if confirmed by the Senate. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Schroyer oversees the strategic coordination of immigration enforcement and serves as the liaison with state and local law enforcement agencies.
In announcing the nomination via Truth Social, Trump called Schroyer “a PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with the respect of law enforcement.” The Department of Homeland Security highlighted Schroyer’s 29 years of law enforcement experience in Oklahoma, where he served with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, along with his background as a U.S. Marine.
Secretary Mullin, himself from Oklahoma, quickly praised 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, noting Schroyer’s work coordinating federal and state immigration enforcement efforts.
Schroyer’s nomination comes as ICE has become central to Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. The agency has been at the forefront of detention and deportation operations across the country, with the administration prioritizing immigration enforcement as a key policy objective.
The nomination represents Trump’s first pick for a permanent ICE director. The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since January 2017, operating instead under acting leadership. Venturella, the current acting director, took the position in June 2026 after Todd Lyons departed. Venturella, a former career ICE official and executive at the private prison company GEO Group, had served under both Republican and Democratic administrations before rejoining the agency under Trump.
Separately, Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” maintains a distinct role overseeing broader immigration enforcement operations across multiple agencies. Homan does not serve as ICE director but coordinates deportation efforts at the White House level.
Sources
- CNN — Trump’s nomination of Lance Schroyer as ICE director
- NBC News — Trump’s announcement and Schroyer’s background
- The Washington Post — Details on the nomination and ICE’s role in deportation campaign
- Department of Homeland Security — Official statement on Schroyer’s current role and qualifications
- Al Jazeera — Information on Venturella’s replacement and Schroyer’s nomination
- NPR — Schroyer’s current role as senior advisor to Mullin
- USA Today — Schroyer’s law enforcement background and Marine service
