Who is Lance Schroyer? What to know about Trump ICE director nominee

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine, to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency at the center of his administration’s mass deportation campaign.

The announcement puts a veteran state law enforcement figure in line to oversee one of the federal government’s most consequential and heavily scrutinized agencies.

"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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!"

Trump also urged the Senate to move quickly on Schroyer’s confirmation, underscoring the administration’s push to install a permanent leader at ICE after years of acting officials.

Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford, whose state is also home to Schroyer’s decades-long law enforcement career, echoed that support in a post on X after the nomination, writing: "Congratulations to Lance Schroyer on his nomination to serve as Director of ICE. Oklahomans have seen his commitment to law enforcement and public safety firsthand. After nearly three decades of service, he understands the importance of enforcing our immigration laws and keeping our communities safe. I’m grateful for his willingness to continue serving our nation."

Schroyer is a longtime law enforcement officer with more than 29 years of experience in Oklahoma, largely within the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Over his career with the state agency, he rose through the ranks from trooper to major, overseeing emergency services operations, disaster response, and specialized tactical units.

He currently serves as a senior adviser to Mullin, coordinating enforcement strategies and acting as a liaison with local and regional agencies.

Before joining DHS earlier this year, Schroyer had not held a role within ICE itself and has spent most of his career in state and regional operations rather than federal immigration policy.

He also previously served as part of Mullin’s security detail while Mullin was in the Senate, highlighting their longstanding professional relationship.

Schroyer's professional background is rooted almost entirely at the state level rather than within federal immigration leadership—a distinction that is likely to draw close examination from lawmakers during his confirmation hearings.

Schroyer has been involved in efforts that link local policing to federal immigration authorities, particularly through 287(g) programs, which allow state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with federal immigration authorities to identify and process illegal immigrants who are arrested on criminal charges.

"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," Mullin wrote on X on Saturday. "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."

The 287(g) program allows specially trained state and local officers, under ICE supervision, to carry out certain immigration enforcement functions during routine policing activities, including traffic stops and other encounters. Recent expansions have also included federal reimbursement programs that can cover training and, in some cases, officer compensation for agencies participating in those partnerships.

While backers say Schroyer's background gives him direct operational familiarity with inter-agency coordination, critics argue the 287(g) partnerships blur the lines between local policing and federal immigration enforcement, straining relations in immigrant communities.

The position of ICE director carries significant policy influence, yet the agency has operated without a Senate-confirmed leader since early 2017, relying instead on a succession of acting officials for nearly a decade. Trump’s first-term nominee Tom Homan failed to secure confirmation and now serves as the White House border czar helping drive immigration policy.

The director oversees a sweeping portfolio that includes interior immigration enforcement, detention facilities, deportation logistics, and homeland security investigations into cross-border criminal activity.

Former acting director Todd Lyons resigned from the post in May, and David Venturella, a former private prison executive, has been performing the duties of director since early June.

Venturella is expected to remain in the acting role until Schroyer is confirmed.

Immigration enforcement remains a cornerstone of Trump’s political agenda. By emphasizing Schroyer's operational background and state-level record, the administration is signaling its commitment to maintaining aggressive enforcement priorities.

Schroyer’s nomination also follows two Supreme Court rulings this week that handed the administration key wins on immigration policy—one allowing the removal of legal protections for thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants, and another making it easier to regulate asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

ICE has been central to the administration’s push to ramp up deportations nationwide, placing the agency under intense political and public scrutiny.

The agency is currently managing a massive expansion fueled by a previous $75 billion funding surge, which aimed to add 12,000 officers and significantly boost federal detention capacity.

Schroyer’s nomination comes amid heightened political and social tensions surrounding the administration's immigration policies.

Recent operations tied to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration have drawn criticism from some members of Congress, who have raised concerns about large-scale raids, detention conditions, and the impact on immigrant communities. Federal oversight has also intensified, with the DHS Office of Inspector General—an internal watchdog—launching new reviews into rising deaths in ICE custody and the agency’s use-of-force practices at detention facilities.

Incidents involving federal agents have drawn particular scrutiny, including the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in January, which sparked nationwide protests.

Additionally, human rights advocacy organizations have flagged deteriorating conditions within the system, citing a Reuters analysis of ICE records that found at least 50 people have died in immigration custody since the launch of the mass deportation drive.

While progressive Democrats have pushed for strict limits on ICE funding and authority, the party remains divided, with moderate leadership focusing their efforts on oversight, accountability, and the handling of enforcement operations rather than opposing the agency's baseline mission. Republicans contend the agency is vital to national security and public safety, arguing that its operations are necessary to remove convicted criminals and maintain interior border control.

Lawmakers are also expected to scrutinize his relatively limited experience managing national policy and leading large federal bureaucracies, an issue likely to feature prominently during confirmation hearings.

John Torres, a former senior ICE official, told the Associated Press that Schroyer faces an uphill climb toward Senate confirmation but his experience being at the state and local level instead of the federal level might help.

“He won't have any of that baggage, where they're going to turn around and say, 'oh, well, he worked for this administration or that,'” he said.