President Donald Trump announced on June 27, 2026, that he is nominating Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and United States Marine, to serve as the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move places a veteran state law enforcement figure — largely unknown on the federal stage — at the helm of the agency that has been the central force behind the administration’s sweeping deportation campaign.
Who Is Lance Schroyer?
Lance Schroyer — whose full name is Richard “Lance” Schroyer — spent more than 29 years in law enforcement in Oklahoma, rising through the ranks of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol from trooper to major. In his most recent state role, he served as a Major in the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Services Unit, where he oversaw at least eight specialized units responsible for operations including disaster response, civil disturbance management, immigration enforcement, child abduction recovery, dignitary protection, and threat assessment. He is also a former United States Marine, a background that Trump highlighted prominently in his announcement.
Before being nominated, Schroyer had been serving as Senior Advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, coordinating immigration enforcement strategy and acting as a liaison between federal and local law enforcement agencies. According to the Department of Homeland Security, his expertise spans interagency collaboration, complex tactical planning, and constitutional safeguards in policy implementation.
How the Nomination Came About
The nomination surprised some within ICE, as Schroyer is not a veteran of the federal agency. Three sources familiar with the decision told NBC News that Secretary Mullin had been quietly pushing for Schroyer to lead ICE for some time. The two share an Oklahoma connection — Mullin is a former Oklahoma congressman — and Schroyer was the secretary’s preferred pick for the directorship. Earlier this month, Mullin brought Schroyer onstage at a National Sheriffs’ Association event, publicly calling him a “good friend.”
Trump made the announcement through a post on Truth Social, praising Schroyer’s record in no uncertain terms. The president called him a “PATRIOT with real operational experience” and a proven leader with decades of experience. Trump also urged the Senate to confirm Schroyer without delay, a call echoed loudly by Mullin, who stated it has been 11 years since DHS had a Senate-confirmed ICE director.
Schroyer’s 287(g) Experience and Immigration Record
A central argument the administration has made for Schroyer’s candidacy is his hands-on experience with the 287(g) program. The program allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to carry out specific immigration enforcement functions under federal supervision. Schroyer spearheaded 287(g) enforcement initiatives in Oklahoma, working alongside state and federal partners to build multi-agency support for immigration removal operations. Trump cited this directly, saying Schroyer has “firsthand experience getting illegal aliens off our streets.”
Mullin described Schroyer as coming “straight from the operational field,” noting that he ran large-scale operations and partnered with state and federal agencies to remove undocumented immigrants from Oklahoma under the 287(g) framework. This experience, while state-level rather than federal, forms the core of the administration’s case that Schroyer is ready to lead a 22,000-person agency with a multibillion-dollar budget.
The State of ICE Leadership Before Schroyer
The nomination arrives after a turbulent stretch for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. The agency has been without a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration — a gap of nearly a decade driven by the deeply polarizing politics surrounding immigration enforcement.
Todd Lyons, who served as acting director during the initial ramp-up of Trump’s second-term deportation campaign, announced his departure in April, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. His exit came as ICE faced intense criticism over its enforcement tactics, including allegations of excessive force and civil liberties violations. In January, ICE enforcement activity in Minneapolis, operating under the name Operation Metro Surge, resulted in the shooting death of a protester, drawing national outrage.
David Venturella, a veteran of government immigration services whose career dates to the 1980s and who previously worked for private prison firm GEO Group, has been serving as acting director since early June. He is expected to remain in that role until Schroyer receives Senate confirmation.
What Experts and Former ICE Officials Are Saying
Schroyer’s nomination has drawn mixed reactions from those familiar with ICE operations. Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former senior ICE official, noted that prior confirmed ICE directors have often been attorneys, though some nominees with state and local law enforcement backgrounds have also been considered. She suggested Mullin’s influence was a clear factor in the selection, saying the secretary likely wants someone he can trust at such a high-profile agency.
Former ICE official John Torres offered a more nuanced view, acknowledging that Schroyer faces an uphill climb toward Senate confirmation but noting that his distance from federal bureaucracy could also be an advantage. Torres suggested lawmakers would not be able to tie him to any prior administration’s specific policy decisions, giving him a cleaner slate heading into hearings.
Critics have pointed out that Schroyer would be entering a federal workforce of 22,000 as someone entirely new to leading a federal agency — a contrast with Venturella, whose institutional knowledge spans nearly four decades.
Broader Context: Supreme Court Wins and Deportation Push
The nomination lands on the heels of two significant Supreme Court victories for the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. The high court ruled to strip legal protections from thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, clearing a path for broader deportation efforts. In a separate ruling the same week, the court sided with the administration in a case that makes it easier to restrict the entry of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Together, these rulings provided a legal tailwind just as Trump named Schroyer as his pick to operationalize the administration’s enforcement goals. The White House has repeatedly cited ICE’s record arrest numbers as evidence of the campaign’s momentum, with Trump claiming his administration holds the highest daily arrest rate in ICE and CBP history. Schroyer, if confirmed, would be responsible for sustaining and potentially expanding that pace.
The agency is currently managing a significant expansion backed by a previous $75 billion funding surge aimed at adding 12,000 officers and boosting federal detention capacity — a massive operational undertaking that Schroyer would inherit upon confirmation.
Senate Confirmation: What to Expect
Schroyer’s path to confirmation will run through the Senate, where his nomination is expected to receive careful scrutiny. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are likely to probe his lack of direct federal agency leadership experience, his specific knowledge of ICE’s internal operations, and his views on enforcement tactics that have drawn lawsuits and public protests across the country.
Trump and Mullin have both called on the Senate to act immediately. Whether the chamber will comply at the speed the administration is requesting remains to be seen, particularly given the political sensitivities surrounding ICE’s recent track record and the nationwide debate over immigration enforcement methods.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lance Schroyer’s ICE Nomination
Who is Lance Schroyer? Lance Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine with over 29 years of law enforcement experience. He most recently served as Senior Advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin before being nominated to lead ICE.
Why did Trump nominate Lance Schroyer to lead ICE? Trump nominated Schroyer for his extensive state-level law enforcement experience, his work with the 287(g) immigration enforcement program, and his close relationship with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who championed his candidacy.
Has ICE had a confirmed director recently? No. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration in 2017 — a gap of nearly a decade. Multiple acting directors have served in the interim.
What is the 287(g) program that Schroyer led? The 287(g) program allows ICE to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to perform immigration enforcement duties under federal supervision. Schroyer spearheaded such partnerships in Oklahoma, giving him direct experience coordinating immigration removals at the local level.
Who is the current acting ICE director while Schroyer awaits confirmation? David Venturella, a career immigration enforcement official with experience dating to the 1980s, is serving as acting ICE director and is expected to remain in the role until Schroyer is confirmed by the Senate.
Will Schroyer face a difficult Senate confirmation? Experts suggest Schroyer faces an uphill confirmation due to his lack of federal agency leadership experience, though his state-level background and distance from prior administration controversies may help with some lawmakers.
What will Schroyer oversee if confirmed? If confirmed, Schroyer would lead a workforce of approximately 22,000 ICE employees and manage a multibillion-dollar budget, with responsibility for the agency’s detention and deportation operations nationwide.
Drop your thoughts in the comments below — do you think Lance Schroyer has what it takes to lead ICE, and will the Senate confirm him quickly?