The White House has withdrawn the nomination of former Oklahoma state trooper Richard Schroyer to serve as director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
President Donald Trump announced Schroyer as his choice for the position in June, selecting the relatively little-known candidate to lead an agency central to his administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
Schroyer currently serves as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who had selected him for the ICE position. Mullin previously knew Schroyer while serving as a U.S. senator from Oklahoma, when Schroyer was part of his security detail.
Trump praised Schroyer when announcing his nomination, saying he had “firsthand experience getting illegal Aliens OFF our streets” and describing him as someone who “LOVES the men and women of ICE.”
The White House listed Schroyer among other nominations that were withdrawn. The reason for the withdrawal was not immediately clear.
Schroyer had been Mullin’s top choice to replace Todd Lyons, who left the ICE director position in April.
ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration. Acting ICE Director David Venturalla is expected to remain in charge of the agency for the time being, according to NBC News.
David Venturella is currently serving as acting ICE director. Venturella is a longtime federal immigration official and former vice president of the private prison company GEO, which receives federal contracts to detain immigrants at its facilities across the country.
Venturella took over the agency in May after former acting ICE director Todd Lyons stepped down following the shooting of two U.S. citizens by immigration officials in Minneapolis earlier this year.