Trump Picks Former Oklahoma Trooper to Lead ICE

President Donald Trump announced on June 27 that he will nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine Corps veteran with nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, to serve as the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The nomination, announced via Truth Social, represents the administration’s most significant attempt yet to install a Senate-confirmed leader at an agency that has operated without one for nearly a decade.

Schroyer, 52, currently serves as senior adviser to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, overseeing coordination of immigration enforcement. According to NPR, he joined DHS in March 2026 when Mullin, a fellow Oklahoman, became Secretary.

A Law Enforcement Career Spanning Three Decades

Schroyer began his law enforcement career in Oklahoma in 1997, served as a Tulsa Police Department officer by 1998, and became an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper in December 2000. He later rose to the rank of major in the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, overseeing emergency services operations, disaster response, and specialized tactical units, according to Wikipedia.

A key element of his background is his involvement with the 287(g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with federal immigration authorities to identify and process undocumented immigrants arrested on criminal charges. Schroyer handled operations in the program at the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, as Newsweek reported.

Ending the Acting Director Cycle

ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since Sarah Saldaña, who served at the end of the Obama administration (2014–2017). For over nine years, the agency has been led by a succession of acting directors. Trump’s first-term nominee, Tom Homan, failed to secure confirmation and now serves as the White House border czar.

The nomination comes after Todd Lyons resigned as acting ICE director at the end of May 2026. David Venturella, a longtime ICE official and former executive of a private prison corporation, has been leading the agency in an acting capacity since June 1.

Administration Support and Confirmation Outlook

In his announcement, Trump described Schroyer as “a PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst, including spearheading 287g Law Enforcement partnerships with ICE!”

DHS Secretary Mullin voiced strong support, writing on X: “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 also noted that Schroyer “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.”

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) also expressed support, praising Schroyer’s “commitment to law enforcement and public safety.”

Schroyer’s nomination requires Senate approval. John Torres, a former senior ICE official, told the Associated Press that Schroyer’s state-level background might help his confirmation prospects. “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,’” Torres said.

Broader Immigration Context

The nomination arrives during a pivotal week for immigration policy. The Supreme Court handed the administration two key victories — one allowing the removal of Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants, and another making it easier to regulate asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, as CBS News reported.

Meanwhile, ICE is managing a massive expansion fueled by a $75 billion funding surge aimed at adding 12,000 officers and significantly boosting federal detention capacity. The agency has faced intense scrutiny over detention conditions, use-of-force practices, and rising deaths in custody.

What to Watch For

If confirmed, Schroyer would bring a state-level law enforcement perspective to an agency that has been led by career federal officials and political appointees for years. His close alignment with Secretary Mullin — both Oklahomans with a long-standing professional relationship — could streamline decision-making between DHS and ICE.

Senate confirmation hearings are expected in the coming weeks, where lawmakers will examine Schroyer’s law enforcement record, experience with federal immigration policy, and enforcement priorities. The nomination represents a test of whether the administration can finally secure a permanent leader for one of the most consequential and heavily scrutinized agencies in the federal government.