Unnamed officials within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have expressed opposition to President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Lance Schroyer. According to a report by Politico citing six officials, some employees within the agency prefer that current acting director Dave Venturella remain in the position. The nomination is currently delayed in the Senate, where Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has requested more information regarding a January incident involving the fatal shootings of two American protesters in Minneapolis.
Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine Corps veteran who currently serves as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. While Mullin and the White House have expressed support for the nomination, critics within DHS have questioned Schroyer’s qualifications, noting he lacks federal government experience outside of being deputized for immigration arrests. A White House official stated that Schroyer remains the nominee and cautioned against interpreting congressional scheduling as a personnel change.
The internal disagreement comes as the Trump administration pursues a goal of 1 million deportations annually. Despite ICE receiving an $85 billion budget through the "One Big Beautiful Bill," internal DHS documents reported by CBS News in February indicated that less than 14 percent of the nearly 400,000 arrests in the administration's first year involved individuals charged with or convicted of violent offenses. Additionally, reports from the Daily Beast and PunchUp suggested that high-level officials, including border czar Tom Homan and deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, were not informed of Schroyer’s nomination before it was announced.
The scale of the reported arrest figures—400,000 in the first year—represents a significant portion of the undocumented population currently targeted for removal. For individuals navigating the immigration system, the specific background and priorities of the ICE director can lead to changes in enforcement focus, such as the balance between arresting those with violent criminal records versus those with non-violent or administrative violations. According to reported DHS data, about 86% of recent arrests did not involve violent criminal charges, a ratio that could shift depending on who holds the permanent director role.
The impasse in the Senate also highlights the influence of individual lawmakers on executive appointments. Sen. Paul’s hold on the confirmation hearing until he receives details on the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti links the appointment process to oversight of federal law enforcement conduct. A final decision on Schroyer’s nomination will determine whether the agency moves forward with a leader from outside the federal system or maintains the status quo under Venturella. No specific date for a confirmation hearing has been set as the request for information remains pending.