By
/ CBS News
President Trump on Saturday said he has nominated Lance Schroyer to be the next director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said Schroyer has over 29 years of law enforcement experience in Oklahoma, where he served as a state trooper. Schroyer was also in the U.S. Marine Corps.
"He is a PATRIOT with real operational experience, and proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst, including spearheading 287g Law Enforcement partnerships with ICE!" the president wrote.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Mr. Trump on Saturday urged Congress to quickly confirm Schroyer's appointment.
"Lance is coming straight from the operational field where he ran large scale operations and worked alongside state and federal partners to remove illegal aliens from Oklahoma under the 287g program," Mullin said in a social media post. "President Trump made a great pick, and I'm confident Lance's strong leadership and firsthand experience will empower the men and women of ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens, secure the homeland, and protect the American people."
For nearly a decade, ICE has had a dozen acting directors, lacking a Senate-confirmed head since early 2017, at the end of the Obama administration.
The nomination comes after Todd Lyons announced his departure from the agency in April and led Trump's deportation crackdown for over a year. David Venturella has served as the interim ICE chief since June 1.
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