Trump nominates ex-cop Lance Schroyer to lead ICE

President Donald Trump has nominated Lance Schroyer, an experienced former Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Trump announced the nomination on Truth Social, highlighting Schroyer's more than 29 years in law enforcement and positioning him as a crucial element of the administration's mass deportation strategy.

The nomination requires Senate ratification. Currently, Schroyer serves as a senior advisor to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. Mullin stated that Schroyer would advance the Trump administration's strategy to locate, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants.

If confirmed, Schroyer would replace the current acting ICE director, David Venturella, who took over in May. Venturella succeeded Todd Lyons, who led the agency since 2025 when Trump intensified his immigration enforcement efforts. The ICE leadership has largely been in the hands of acting officials for almost ten years, with Sarah Saldaña, appointed during the Obama administration, being the last Senate-confirmed director.

Under Trump's presidency, ICE has become a central tool in his immigration agenda, marked by increased arrests and deportations. Data from January 2026 indicated over 71,000 individuals in ICE custody, the highest number in the agency's history, reportedly to enhance national security against cross-border crimes. This surge in detentions has coincided with a rise in deaths in custody, with a Human Rights Watch report documenting 52 fatalities during the first 500 days of Trump's second term, noting the highest mortality rate in a decade.