# Trump pulls ICE director pick after GOP senator blocks vote

> President Trump withdrew his nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead ICE after Senator Rand Paul blocked the confirmation hearing over concerns about fatal shootings by immigration agents.
- Title: Trump pulls ICE director pick after GOP senator blocks vote
- Summary: President Trump withdrew his nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead ICE after Senator Rand Paul blocked the confirmation hearing over concerns about fatal…
- Keywords: trump, ice, lance schroyer, rand paul, immigration enforcement, senate confirmation, homeland security, markwayne mullin, minneapolis shootings, immigration crackdown, pulls, director
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/17/trump-ice-director-nominee-lance-schroyer-rand-paul
- Author: Connor Greene
- Published: 2026-09-17T18:23:19+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: trump, ice, lance schroyer, rand paul, immigration enforcement, senate confirmation, homeland security, markwayne mullin, minneapolis shootings, immigration crackdown
## Trump withdraws ICE director nominee
President Trump pulled his nomination of Lance Schroyer to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked the confirmation hearing.
## Who is Lance Schroyer
Schroyer is a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper with no experience leading a law enforcement agency. He was close to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, having previously served on his security detail.
## Trump's original pitch for Schroyer
Trump nominated Schroyer in June, calling him a patriot with decades of experience and a vital player in the administration's immigration crackdown. Homeland Security Secretary Mullin praised his operational field experience.

> PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst
## Paul blocks hearing over fatal shootings
Senator Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, delayed the confirmation hearing in August. He demanded more information about investigations into two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
## Democrats call for transparency and accountability
Democratic Senator Gary Peters criticized ICE for increasingly questionable enforcement tactics and lack of transparency. He called on the administration to nominate someone who would restore accountability and deescalate immigration enforcement.

> the Administration needs to nominate someone who will right the ship, provide transparency, and restore the accountability
## ICE remains without confirmed director
ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since 2017. David Venturella has headed the agency in an acting capacity since June 1, following Todd Lyon's departure.
## Key takeaway

Trump's ICE director nominee was withdrawn due to Republican opposition, leaving the agency without a Senate-confirmed leader for the seventh consecutive year.