President Donald Trump nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to serve as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the White House announced on June 27, 2026.

Schroyer's law enforcement experience comes from state policing rather than federal immigration work. That sets him apart from the career officials at ICE and the Department of Homeland Security who typically hold the position. DHS Secretary Mullin praised the nomination in a statement, calling Schroyer the right choice to lead the agency.

The job requires Senate approval. Schroyer will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where lawmakers will question him about immigration law, how ICE runs detention facilities, and how the agency works with other federal organizations.

ICE has operated without a Senate-confirmed permanent director for long periods under recent presidents, using acting directors instead. A confirmed director holds more power when negotiating budgets and setting enforcement priorities across ICE's two main divisions: one handling deportations and the other handling criminal investigations.

The nomination comes as the Trump administration has made workplace and interior immigration enforcement a priority. The administration is expanding deportation operations and seeking more detention space. If confirmed, Schroyer would lead an agency that handles a heavy caseload and faces ongoing criticism from Congress and federal courts over detention conditions and deportation procedures.

Schroyer's state police background will likely shape the confirmation debate in two ways. Supporters may say it gives him real-world street experience that career government officials lack. Opponents may question whether managing state troopers prepares someone to run a federal agency with roughly 20,000 employees, a multi-billion-dollar budget, and responsibility for both criminal immigration enforcement and investigations into transnational crime.

PBS NewsHour first reported the announcement on June 27. No hearing date has been set.