President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he is nominating Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to be the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Schroyer is a "PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst."
Schroyer's nomination follows the resignation of former ICE director Todd Lyons at the end of May. David Venturella, formerly an executive at a private prison operator, has been serving as the acting head of the agency.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who is also from Oklahoma and previously represented the state in Congress, 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 to target, arrest, and deport illegal aliens," Mullin wrote on X.
Mullin recently stepped into his role overseeing the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE. He has expressed a commitment to keeping the department out of headlines and has indicated a more measured approach to immigration, while still aligning with the president's objectives on mass deportations.