The White House abruptly withdrew President Trump’s nominee to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday, ending a confirmation bid that never reached a committee hearing.

Richard “Lance” Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine, had been nominated to serve as an assistant secretary of Homeland Security and run ICE.

The first public confirmation came through the White House’s notice to the Senate:

The White House listed Schroyer among five nominations withdrawn on September 17. The notice identifies him as Richard Schroyer of Oklahoma and gives the formal position as assistant secretary of Homeland Security.

The administration did not state a reason for the decision in the notice. It also did not announce a replacement or a timetable for submitting another nominee.

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An earlier White House notice shows that Schroyer’s nomination was sent to the Senate on July 20. President Trump had announced the selection in June, citing Schroyer’s 29 years in Oklahoma law enforcement, his Marine service and his work with federal and state immigration-enforcement partnerships.

The nomination remained stalled as the Senate committee responsible for reviewing it sought additional information from the Department of Homeland Security.

CBS summarized where the confirmation effort stood when the withdrawal became public:

CBS News reported that Schroyer had been serving as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. His nomination did not advance through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Committee Chairman Rand Paul had not scheduled a confirmation hearing while he awaited information from DHS about investigations connected to agent-involved shootings in Minnesota. Paul told reporters that his hold was about obtaining those records, not an objection to Schroyer personally.

CBS also reported that David Venturella remains the senior official performing the duties of ICE director after Todd Lyons left the role earlier this year.

That leaves an agency central to the administration’s immigration-enforcement program without a Senate-confirmed director. ICE has operated under acting leadership for years, and Schroyer’s withdrawal extends that pattern while the White House considers its next nominee.

The confirmation dispute became a central part of the coverage after the White House acted:

The Associated Press reported that Paul intended to hold a hearing but was still waiting for the requested DHS update when the nomination was withdrawn. Paul said he learned of the withdrawal only after the White House made it public.

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Schroyer had spent nearly three decades with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and was working as an adviser to Mullin when President Trump selected him. Supporters pointed to that command experience and his work with ICE partnerships, while questions about his limited direct immigration-agency experience followed the nomination.

ICE will therefore continue operating under acting leadership while the White House decides whether to nominate another candidate. The administration has not said when that decision will be made.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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