President Donald Trump withdrew Lance Schroyer’s nomination to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday, ending a stalled confirmation process after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked a hearing.
The White House did not publicly explain the decision. Paul said he had planned to hold a hearing on Schroyer’s nomination, but learned it had been withdrawn only when the White House announced the move publicly.
The withdrawal leaves Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, without a Senate-confirmed director. The agency has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since 2017. David Venturella has headed ICE in an acting capacity since June 1.
Trump nominated Schroyer in June. The former Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper had close ties to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Schroyer previously worked on Mullin’s security detail and later became a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS.
Schroyer helped lead the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s work to train troopers and enforce an immigration crackdown alongside ICE in the state. He was deputized last year to make federal immigration enforcement arrests.
Trump had praised Schroyer as a 'PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst'.
Paul said in August that he would delay Schroyer’s confirmation hearing until DHS provided more information about investigations into the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. Federal immigration officers have shot and killed multiple people during enforcement operations, including the two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier in 2026.
The information Paul sought and whether DHS provided it before the nomination was withdrawn remain unclear. It is also unknown whether Trump consulted Paul or other senators before making the decision public.
Schroyer’s limited immigration experience had created tension within the administration. His lack of experience leading a law enforcement agency was also a point of concern. The nomination caused friction between Mullin and border czar Tom Homan, as well as other figures in the Make America Great Again movement.
It is unclear whether those internal disputes played a role in the White House decision. The administration has also not said whether it is considering another candidate to lead ICE.
The vacancy comes as the administration continues an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign. ICE arrests reached nearly 51,000 in August, the highest monthly total of Trump’s second administration.
Schroyer’s withdrawal means the agency will continue under acting leadership while the White House decides whether to put forward another nominee. Any permanent director would require Senate confirmation.
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