President Trump on Saturday announced he has nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to serve as the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling him a “patriot with real operational experience.”
Mr. Schroyer was chosen to succeed Todd Lyons, who resigned as ICE director in late May. David Venturella, a former ICE office director, is currently serving as the agency’s acting director.
Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post that Mr. Schroyer has “over 29 years of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma – A State where I won all 77 Counties in 2016, 2020, and 2024!”
“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,” said the president in his post. “Importantly, Lance Schroyer has what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals, including murders, rapists, and drug traffickers at a rate never seen before!”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, also an Oklahoman, praised the selection as a “great pick.”
“Lance 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 said in a Saturday post on X.
“President Trump made a great pick, and I’m confident Lance’s strong leadership and firsthand experience will empower the men and women of ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens, secure the homeland, and protect the American people,” said Mr. Mullin.
He urged the Senate to confirm Mr. Schroyer, saying that the agency has not had a Senate-confirmed head in 11 years.
“The Senate must confirm Lance, immediately — Do not delay,” Mr. Trump said. “Together, we will Make America Safe Again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Since Mr. Trump took office in January 2025, ICE has more than doubled its workforce from about 10,000 to 22,000 officers and agents, the department announced in January.
