he White House withdrew President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead ICE, former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer, according to a notice published Thursday.
The White House did not say in the notice why Schroyer’s nomination was withdrawn.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately provide a response about the withdrawal, but a spokesperson said a statement from the agency is forthcoming.
Schroyer’s nomination was blocked by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, according to a person familiar with the decision, because Paul was unsatisfied with how much information he obtained from the White House about the shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota by federal agents.
The White House has not responded to a request for comment. ICE has not responded to a request for comment about Paul.
Schroyer is a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and he was the secretary’s top pick to take over as director of ICE after Todd Lyons’ exit from the position in April.
Mullin was previously a U.S. senator for Oklahoma and knew Schroyer from that time.
Schroyer has decades of experience working in local law enforcement in the state, but not specifically with ICE.
Trump announced Schroyer’s nomination in a Truth Social post in June, saying, “Lance has firsthand experience getting Illegal Aliens OFF our streets and, just like ME and our Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, he LOVES the men and women of ICE.”
Acting ICE Director David Venturella is expected to remain in his role leading the agency for the time being, according to an ICE spokesperson.
