Trump Nominates Former Oklahoma Trooper Lance Schroyer to Lead ICE

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to be the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. CBS News, NBC News and The Guardian reported the announcement, which Trump made on Truth Social. If confirmed, Schroyer would be the first Senate-confirmed head of the agency since early 2017, at the end of the Obama administration; for nearly a decade ICE has had a dozen acting directors, CBS reported.

Trump described Schroyer as having “over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma” and being a former U.S. Marine. He called him “a PATRIOT with real operational experience” and said he has “what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals,” according to the Guardian. Schroyer is currently a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, CBS and NBC reported. The Department of Homeland Security says he was a major at the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety over its Emergency Services Unit, and Trump credited him with “spearheading 287g Law Enforcement partnerships with ICE,” CBS reported. The 287(g) program delegates certain federal immigration enforcement authority to state and local officers, the Guardian explained.

Mullin said in a statement that Schroyer “is coming straight from the operational field where he ran large scale operations and worked alongside state and federal partners to remove illegal aliens from Oklahoma under the 287g program.” He called the choice “a great pick” and said Schroyer will help “target, arrest, and deport illegal aliens,” the Guardian and NBC reported. Both Trump and Mullin urged the Senate to confirm him quickly. “The Senate must CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote, NBC reported.

NBC News, citing three people familiar with the decision, reported that Mullin had pushed for Schroyer for some time, and two sources said his lack of experience within ICE itself could surprise rank-and-file officers and agents. If confirmed he would succeed Todd Lyons, who took over in March 2025 and left the post last month; David Venturella has been the acting head since June 1 and will remain until a confirmation, CBS and NBC reported.

The nomination comes as the administration defends its enforcement record. Trump said in his post that his administration has “the HIGHEST Daily Arrest Rate by ICE and CBP than ANY other President, by far,” the Guardian reported. Trump has justified the campaign as a way to cut illegal immigration and improve domestic security, while rights groups say the government’s actions violate civil liberties and create an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities, according to the Guardian.