Trump names Oklahoma ex-trooper Lance Schroyer to lead ICE, demands swift confirmation
The president announced his pick Saturday evening, touting Schroyer's nearly 30 years in Oklahoma law enforcement and his experience with the agency's local partnerships. The Senate has not confirmed an ICE director since 2014.
The nomination
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine, to be the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The post became vacant after Todd Lyons stepped down in May, just weeks after the removal of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, praising Schroyer as "a PATRIOT with real operational experience" and a "proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst."
Lance has over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma. The Senate must CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY -- Do not delay.
The president urged swift confirmation, noting that the agency has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since early 2017. Schroyer would be the first confirmed director since 2017, ending an 11-year streak of acting leadership.
Schroyer's background
Schroyer, currently a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, joined ICE only in March 2026 after Mullin took office. His earlier career was spent largely in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, where he rose from trooper to lieutenant, captain and eventually major. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.
According to sources cited by the Washington Post, border czar Tom Homan opposed the nomination, though the White House insists Homan will continue to collaborate closely on immigration policy. The nomination has caused some perplexity within ICE, as previous directors had more nationally prominent résumés.
ICE without confirmed leadership
No ICE director has been confirmed by the Senate since December 2014. The agency has relied on a series of acting directors, with Todd Lyons serving from March 2025 until his departure in May 2026. Schroyer's predecessor was appointed by Trump as acting director shortly after his second term began in January 2025.
- Trump's second term begins; immigration crackdown launched.
- Todd Lyons named acting ICE director.
- ICE agents fatally shoot two US citizens in Minneapolis, sparking national protests.
- Markwayne Mullin becomes DHS secretary; Schroyer appointed senior adviser.
- Lyons leaves ICE post.
- Trump nominates Schroyer as ICE director.
The Minneapolis shootings and protest fallout
ICE has been at the centre of Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown, carrying out raids in Democratic-led cities with sometimes masked agents. The agency's tactics came under intense scrutiny after federal agents fatally shot two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minneapolis this January. The killings sparked nationwide protests and ultimately contributed to the ousting of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Reaction and next steps
Homeland Security Secretary Mullin, a former Oklahoma senator, welcomed the nomination as an "excellent choice" and said Schroyer would play a critical role in Trump's deportation agenda.
President Trump made an excellent choice, and I am confident that Lance's strong leadership and first-hand experience will empower the men and women of ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens, ensure homeland security and protect the American people.
The Senate now must vote on the nomination. Schroyer would take charge of an agency with about 22,000 employees and a multi-billion-dollar budget, at a time when ICE's actions continue to draw both strong support from Trump's base and fierce criticism from rights groups who say its methods violate civil liberties.
