White House Pulls Trump's ICE Nominee Amid Republican Opposition
Richard Schroyer's nomination stalled as Sen. Rand Paul sought information on ICE shootings.
The White House has withdrawn President Donald Trump's nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Republican Sen. Rand Paul joined Democrats in opposing his confirmation. The decision came Thursday in a brief memo that did not provide a reason for the withdrawal.
Richard Schroyer, who was a senior aide to the Secretary of Homeland Security, had been selected by Trump in June to lead the federal immigration enforcement agency. His nomination had stalled in the Senate Homeland Security committee and did not advance to a full Senate vote.
Sen. Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, had placed a hold on Schroyer's nomination. Paul stated he would not allow the nomination to proceed to a vote until the White House provided further information regarding the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis in January. The two individuals, identified as Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were reportedly protesting when they were killed in separate incidents.
Schroyer, who served 29 years with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and also has a background in the U.S. Marines, is considered a close ally of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullins. His appointment was viewed as surprising by some due to his limited experience overseeing a large law enforcement agency of ICE's scale.
The withdrawal represents a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to implement its pledge for extensive deportation operations. The position of ICE director has been without a Senate-confirmed appointee since 2017, with the agency led by a series of temporary chiefs. David Venturella, a former private prison executive, is the current acting head of ICE, following the departure of Todd Lyon in April.