White House withdraws ICE director nominee amid Republican opposition

The White House has withdrawn its nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday, September 17, 2026. This decision comes less than three months after President Donald Trump initially tapped Schroyer for the role in June, praising his experience in immigration enforcement. The administration did not provide an official reason for the withdrawal.

The nomination had faced a roadblock in the Senate, primarily due to Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Paul had stalled Schroyer's confirmation hearing, demanding further information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding investigations into the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Schroyer's nomination had also drawn criticism due to his lack of formal experience leading a major federal law enforcement agency like ICE. He had previously served as a senior advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and was part of Mullin's security detail. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017, relying instead on a series of acting directors.