President Donald Trump withdrew the nomination of Lance Schroyer to be the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after facing resistance from some Republican lawmakers, including Senate Homeland Security Chair Rand Paul. Nominated in late June, Schroyer’s candidacy faced scrutiny over his qualifications and personal history; for instance, his second ex-wife alleged that he failed to pay child support for four years. The decision marks a significant setback for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who had advocated strongly for the nomination of his friend and former security detail member.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The White House withdrew President Donald Trump's nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in late June. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul, had stalled the nomination process due to demands for more information on investigations into federal agent-involved shootings in Minneapolis earlier that year. Schroyer, who has over two decades of experience in local law enforcement but no direct ICE experience, was seen as a close friend and senior adviser to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Since the withdrawal, acting director David Venturella continues to oversee ICE operations. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since 2017.
Written for “ICE Director Nominee Withdrawal” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
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Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of a former Oklahoma state trooper to become the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Trump → sign → Enforcement
The White House website listed Lance Schroyer, a personal friend of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, as a withdrawn nomination on Thursday.
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website → list → Thursday
Trump nominated Schroyer to the role in late June, touting his 29 years of Oklahoma law enforcement work and calling him 'a patriot with real operational experience.'
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Trump → nominate → experience
The White House did not immediately return the Daily Mail's request for comment.
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House → return → comment
Shroyer's selection to lead ICE came as a surprise to many lawmakers, with some questioning his qualifications.
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some → lead → qualifications
The Daily Mail reported in July that Schroyer’s confirmation appeared in doubt, with fresh scrutiny over his lack of experience and his personal baggage, according to eight current and former DHS officials.
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confirmation → report → current
In particular, Schroyer's second ex-wife alleged that he went four years without paying child support for their two children, according to court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail.
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he → allege → Mail
He never led a law enforcement agency, but rather was the one-time head of Mullin's security detail.
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He → lead → detail
Mullin appointed Schroyer as a senior adviser at DHS after taking control of the department following Kristi Noem's ousting.
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Mullin → appoint → ousting
President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination of Lance Schroyer to become the next ICE director on Thursday
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had been pushing to get his Oklahoma friend, former state trooper Lance Schroyer (pictured above), confirmed, but his nomination faced pushback from Republicans
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nomination → withdraw → Republicans
The withdrawal is a major defeat for DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, given his personal connection to the former Oklahoma state trooper
Senate Homeland Security Chair Rand Paul effectively blocked Shroyer's nomination by requesting additional information from DHS about the federal officer-involved killings of two American citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Reports have indicated that the chairman was one of the Republicans most critical of Schroyer's qualifications.
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chairman → give → qualifications
Serving atop the committee, Paul is responsible for leading the committee's work, including scheduling confirmation hearings, which he did not do for months.
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he → serve → months
The withdrawal is a major defeat for Mullin, who oversees ICE as DHS secretary, given his personal connection to the former Oklahoma state trooper.
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who → oversee → trooper
Schroyer is a veteran of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol who Mullin used as his security guard and unofficial chauffeur when he was a senator in the Sooner State.
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he → use → State
Inside the DHS, Mullin has been mocked behind his back for elevating Schroyer, despite his lack of experience in immigration.
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Mullin → mock → immigration
Mullin, who replaced Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security in March, has claimed that, upon taking up the top DHS job, he went through a rigorous two-month search for the right person to lead ICE.
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he → replace → ICE
'I interviewed countless individuals, because we wanted someone not to just hold the position, someone that could also be confirmed, and here you have Lance that was literally right in front of me the whole time,' he told Fox News this summer.
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he → interview → News
But sources familiar with the ICE director search told the Daily Mail they are not aware of Mullin's vetting of other candidates.
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they → tell → candidates
Instead, sources say, Mullin tapped his 'buddy’ and took his case directly to Trump without consulting two of the President's top immigration advisers: Stephen Miller and Tom Homan.
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Mullin → say → advisers
Currently, David Venturella is serving as acting ICE director.
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Venturella → serve → director
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