White House pulls nominee to head US immigration agency

The White House has rescinded the nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, the body responsible for enforcing President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Schroyer, who is a former US Marine and Oklahoma state trooper, had been nominated by Trump earlier this year for the role of ICE director, a position that requires Senate confirmation.

The White House announced the withdrawal of Schroyer's nomination via its website, providing no specific reason for the decision, but noted that the nomination had been stuck in the Senate. Currently, ICE is being managed by an acting director following the resignation of the interim chief in May. Since 2017, the Senate has not confirmed any individual nominated to head a federal agency, with ICE leaders serving as interim directors during that period.

Schroyer was serving as an adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin while awaiting Senate confirmation. During his tenure, Trump has pledged to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and has implemented several measures aimed at increasing deportations and reducing border crossings. In August, the Department of Homeland Security reported that nearly 51,000 undocumented migrants were apprehended, surpassing the previous record high of 50,200 set in July.