Former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer has been nominated by Donald Trump to become the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the president announced on Saturday.
“I am very pleased to announce that I have nominated Lance Schroyer to be our next ICE Director,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Lance has over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma.”
Todd Lyons, who assumed leadership of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March 2025 during the intensification of Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, left the position last month and is set to be succeeded by Schroyer, a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
According to three sources familiar with the nomination process who spoke with NBC News, Markwayne Mullin had long been advocating for Schroyer to be appointed to lead the agency.
Sources familiar with the development said Schroyer’s background is rooted in local law enforcement rather than immigration enforcement, a factor that could raise eyebrows among serving ICE officers and agents, who may view the appointment as unexpected.
A Department of Homeland Security representative stated that David Venturella will continue overseeing the agency on an interim basis until Schroyer’s nomination is formally approved.
Markwayne Mullin welcomed the nomination on Saturday and praised the decision, saying Donald Trump had selected the right person for the role.
In his statement, Mullin said: “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.”
No ICE director has secured Senate confirmation since the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama. On Saturday, both Donald Trump and Markwayne Mullin called on lawmakers to move quickly in approving Schroyer’s nomination.
“The Senate must CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY — Do not delay,” the president wrote in his post.
Schroyer’s nomination follows a week in which Donald Trump secured two favourable rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court that strengthened key parts of his immigration agenda.
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued rulings that could significantly reshape immigration policy, including a decision that removed legal protections for thousands of immigrants from Haiti and Syria living in the United States, potentially exposing them to deportation.
In a separate ruling delivered the same day, the court also sided with the administration of Donald Trump in its effort to expand federal authority over the entry of asylum seekers along the U.S.–Mexico border.
Speaking on Saturday, Donald Trump emphasised that Schroyer would play a central role in implementing his administration’s immigration agenda, including plans for expanded deportations and tougher enforcement measures across the United States.
“Importantly, Lance Schroyer has what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals,” Trump wrote. “He is a PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst.”
During the second Trump administration, enforcement operations carried out by ICE and Border Patrol drew criticism over confrontational tactics in several U.S. cities, including Minneapolis, where separate incidents involving federal agents resulted in the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
On Thursday, the oversight office for the Department of Homeland Security announced the opening of two new investigations focused on how Immigration and Customs Enforcement has managed the detention of migrants.
The investigations will examine the recent increase in fatalities among people held in ICE custody and evaluate whether detention facilities are adhering to approved use-of-force policies. The move comes after 20 detainee deaths were recorded in ICE facilities this year.
