White House Withdraws Lance Schroyer Nomination for ICE Director

The White House withdrew Lance Schroyer's nomination to be the next Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, according to a notice posted on the White House website Thursday.

Critics from both parties cited Schroyer's lack of qualifications for the job. Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and close confidant of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, was nominated in June. His nomination had stalled in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, the committee chairman, effectively blocked the confirmation process by not scheduling a hearing.

Paul requested additional details regarding federal investigations into the shooting deaths of two Americans during ICE operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January. President Donald Trump announced Schroyer's nomination in June, stating Schroyer had over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma and what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals. Trump urged the Senate to "CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY."

The White House did not provide a reason for withdrawing Schroyer's nomination. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017; David Venturella, a former private prisons executive, is the current acting director.