President Donald Trump's nomination of Oklahoma law enforcement veteran Lance Schroyer to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being viewed by administration officials as a sign that the agency will further expand its reliance on state and local police in immigration enforcement through the federal 287(g) program.
Trump announced Schroyer's nomination Saturday, calling him "a PATRIOT with real operational experience" and urging the Senate to confirm him quickly. If confirmed, Schroyer would become the first Senate-confirmed ICE director since 2017 after years of acting leadership at the agency.
Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine with nearly three decades in law enforcement, currently serves as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, overseeing coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Unlike many previous ICE leaders, Schroyer has little background in federal immigration enforcement but extensive experience with the 287(g) program, which authorizes trained local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions.
The administration has rapidly expanded those agreements under Trump's second term. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of 287(g) partnerships has grown from 139 at the end of the Biden administration to nearly 2,000 across 39 states.
Mullin described Schroyer as "a great pick," saying he comes "from the operation field where he ran large scale operations" under the 287(g) program. Earlier this month, Mullin introduced Schroyer at the National Sheriffs' Association conference, telling local officials: "He is fully committed and understands that the 287(g) program can be a tremendous asset to you and to the country."
Trump similarly said Schroyer "has what it takes to detain and deport illegal alien criminals...at a rate never seen before."
Mullin had advocated for elevating a trusted law enforcement official from Oklahoma rather than someone with an established profile in immigration policy after ICE faced criticism over operations in Minnesota earlier this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The news site also reported that some ICE officials were surprised by the selection because previous directors typically had served as police chiefs, senior prosecutors or longtime immigration officials. It also reported that White House border czar Tom Homan privately opposed the nomination, although a White House official said Homan remains closely involved in immigration policy.
Schroyer's nomination comes weeks after acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stepped down. David Venturella, a longtime immigration enforcement official and former private prison executive, has been leading the agency in an interim capacity since May and is expected to remain acting director until the Senate votes on Schroyer's nomination.
