The White House withdrew Lance Schroyer’s nomination to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his confirmation stalled in the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Schroyer faced scrutiny over his lack of agency leadership experience, while committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul demanded internal investigation records before holding a hearing.
The White House pulled back on its choice to helm the nation’s largest law enforcement agency following a legislative standoff. Notice of the withdrawal appeared on the White House website Thursday, ending a nomination process that began when President Trump announced the selection in June.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has operated without a Senate-confirmed director since 2017. David Venturella, a former private prisons executive, has managed the agency since June. His predecessor, Todd Lyons, stepped down in May, claiming he wanted to spend more time with his family. Lyons had been on the opposite side of a rift with Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino and former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over how aggressive to be with immigration enforcement. Lyons wanted to prioritize illegal immigrations with bad rap sheets, whereas Bovino wanted a far broader effort. The former ICE boss had the backing of border czar Tom Homan, and ultimately both Bovino and Noem were pushed out.
Sen. Rand Paul Blocks Confirmation Over Federal Shooting Records
The nomination stalled in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) served as chairman. Paul has long feuded with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and refrained from holding a hearing on Schroyer until the Trump administration coughed up more records on the ICE shootings of Americans Alex Pretti and Renee Good earlier this year in Minnesota.
Although Paul used the information standstill to block the nomination’s progress, his office noted that he never expressed direct opposition to Schroyer taking over the agency.
Qualifications and Ties to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin
Schroyer brought decades of law enforcement background to the table, but critics from both political parties and within the president’s base raised concerns about his resume. Schroyer had no prior experience leading a law enforcement agency of any kind.
Instead, his selection stemmed from close ties to top administration officials. Schroyer worked as a senior adviser and security team member for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, operating as Mullin’s personal choice to head ICE. Schroyer, who served in the Marine Corps, was nominated in June but faced pushback from the president’s base and Democrats over what they said was his lack of qualifications for the job. Mullin reportedly collaborated with White House deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, on the selection of Schroyer to lead ICE. Miller, an immigration hardliner, has been widely seen as one of the driving forces behind the president’s deportation agenda, while Mullin has come under fire from his right flank for not being more aggressive with deportations. The DHS boss had stressed his desire to pick someone who could get through the Senate.
Enforcement Priorities and the Future of the ICE Directorship
With an ICE budget exceeding $75 billion that is the largest of any law enforcement agency in the country, the agency remains the cornerstone of the administration’s second-term deportation push. The Republican-controlled Congress has given the agency the resources to carry out the administration’s agenda, while ICE has come under scrutiny during its push to deport those in the country illegally for what some Democrats say are heavy-handed tactics and a rush to hire candidates that weren’t qualified for the job.
David Venturella remains at the helm as acting director while the administration evaluates its next steps for Senate confirmation. The White House did not give a reason for withdrawing Schroyer’s nomination, and ABC News and The Post reached out to the White House and Department of Homeland Security for comment.
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