President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to take over as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.“I am very pleased to announce that I have nominated Lance Schroyer to be our next ICE Director,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.“Lance has over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma.” Schroyer, who currently serves as a senior advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, will replace Todd Lyons.
Lyons took over the role in March 2025, during the ramp-up of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, before leaving the post last month.Three sources familiar with Trump’s choice to nominate Schroyer told NBC News that Mullin has been pushing for him to lead the agency for some time.
Schroyer has local law enforcement experience, but not specifically with ICE, which could come as a surprise to ICE rank-and-file officers and agents, two sources said.A DHS official said current acting director David Venturella will continue to serve until Schroyer is confirmed.Mullin congratulated Schroyer Saturday, writing in a statement that Trump “made a great pick.” “With over 29 years of law enforcement experience, Lance will play a vital role in helping deliver on the President’s mandate from the American people to target, arrest, and deport illegal aliens,” Mullin said in the statement.
No acting ICE director has been confirmed by the Senate since the second Obama administration.On Saturday, both Trump and Mullin urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Schroyer to the role.
“The Senate must CONFIRM Lance, IMMEDIATELY — Do not delay,” the president wrote in his post.Schroyer’s nomination comes on the heels of two Supreme Court victories for Trump’s anti-immigration agenda this week.
The high court ruled Thursday to remove the legal protec...