Trump to nominate Lance Schroyer as next ICE director
President Donald Trump announced he will nominate Lance Schroyer as the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, replacing acting director David Venturella. Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine with over 29 years of law enforcement experience.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Donald Trump said he intends to nominate Lance Schroyer as the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), succeeding David Venturella, who had been serving as acting director.
Trump highlighted that Schroyer has over 29 years of law enforcement experience in Oklahoma, a state where Trump won all 77 counties in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections. Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and a U.S. Marine. The president described him as a patriot with real operational experience and decades of experience locking up "the worst of the worst," as well as firsthand experience removing illegal immigrants from the streets.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement on X that Schroyer will play a vital role in carrying out the president's mandate to target, arrest, and deport illegal aliens. Mullin added that Schroyer comes directly from the operational field, where he led large-scale operations and collaborated with state and federal partners to remove illegal immigrants from Oklahoma under the 287(g) program, which delegates federal immigration enforcement authority to local law enforcement.
Both Trump and Mullin called on the Senate to confirm Schroyer quickly. Mullin noted that it has been 11 years since the Senate confirmed an ICE director. The agency has lacked a Senate-confirmed director since early 2017.
Trump has made cracking down on immigration a top priority since taking office last year. However, rights groups argue that the government's actions violate civil liberties and create an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities.
ICE has been central to Trump's crackdown, conducting immigration detentions and attempted deportations. In January, ICE agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota—Alex Pretti and Renee Good—sparking nationwide protests.
Trump also stated in his post that Schroyer has what it takes to detain and deport illegal alien criminals, including murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers, at an unprecedented rate. He added that his administration has the highest daily arrest rate by ICE and CBP compared to any other president.
