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Trump withdraws Lance Schroyer nomination to lead ICE

The former Oklahoma state trooper will no longer proceed through the Senate confirmation process to lead ICE.

The Ballot Oklahoma DeskSeptember 18, 2026
Trump withdraws Lance Schroyer nomination to lead ICE

Key takeaways

  • The White House is withdrawing Lance Schroyer’s nomination.
  • Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper.
  • ICE remains without a Senate-confirmed leader.
  • The decision is not directly tied to an Oklahoma election.

White House withdraws nomination

The White House says it is withdrawing President Donald Trump’s nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.

The decision ends Schroyer’s path to the position under this nomination. It also leaves ICE without a leader confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The agency will continue without a Senate-confirmed leader in the near term.

Schroyer’s Oklahoma connection comes from his previous service as a state trooper. His nomination concerned leadership of a federal agency rather than an Oklahoma state office.

What the decision means for ICE

ICE is part of the federal government and is central to Trump’s domestic agenda. Its top leadership post requires the president to select a nominee and the Senate to consider whether to confirm that person.

By withdrawing Schroyer’s nomination, the White House is ending that confirmation process for him. A Senate-confirmed leader would require a nomination from the president followed by Senate consideration.

The withdrawal does not directly involve an election, ballot measure or candidate race in Oklahoma. Voters do not select the head of ICE; the position is filled through the federal nomination and confirmation process.

What comes next

The next step rests with the White House, which can choose whether to put forward another nominee. Any new nominee would then face the Senate confirmation process before becoming the agency’s Senate-confirmed leader. Until that process produces a confirmed leader, ICE will remain without one.

What to watch

  • Whether the White House names another nominee
  • The timing of any new nomination
  • Any Senate action on a future nominee

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