Trump nominates Lance Schroyer as new director of US immigration agency ICE

Trump called Schroyer a patriot and promoted his professional experience. Trump described Lance Schroyer as having 'decades of experience in incarcerating the worst criminals.' Schroyer is to head an agency that has become a symbol of the aggressive migration policy of Trump's second term in recent months.

Background: Raids and deadly shootings in Minneapolis

ICE had attracted attention in recent months primarily through raids against migrants in Democrat-led cities. The agency was responsible for controversial raids against migrants in Democrat-led cities. The operations triggered a large wave of protests across the US. Officers were in some cases masked, further intensifying criticism of the agency.

In January, the operations escalated in Minneapolis. At that time, two US citizens were killed in shootings by federal agents from various agencies during such operations. The incident sparked a nationwide debate over the use of firearms and the lack of identification on uniforms. In response, ICE agents in Minneapolis were reportedly to wear body cameras starting in February 2026.

The post at the top of ICE became vacant after it became known months ago that acting director Todd Lyons was resigning. Lyons had been appointed by Trump as acting head in March 2025 and had held the position for just under a year. He left the agency in May 2026, a few weeks after the dismissal of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Reactions from the Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin welcomed the personnel decision in a post on the online platform X. Markwayne Mullin wrote that Schroyer would play a central role in helping Trump target, detain, and deport irregular immigrants. The agency's leadership thereby underscored that the hard line of the previous migration policy would continue.

The nomination comes at a time when US migration policy is particularly visible internationally. A photograph by photographer Carol Guzy was awarded World Press Photo of the Year in spring 2026. It shows desperate children clinging to their father's T-shirt and is regarded as a symbol of the uncompromising US migration policy. The image illustrates the humanitarian consequences of the official actions for which Schroyer will bear responsibility in the future.

Trump called on the Senate in Congress to approve the appointment. The ball is now in the court of the congressional chamber that will decide on the confirmation of the new ICE director. A hearing in the responsible Senate committee is still pending.

Outlook on Senate confirmation

With the nomination of Schroyer, the government is also linking the expectation that the agency will maintain its previous course. Observers in Washington assume that, given the majority situation, confirmation in the Senate is likely to proceed quickly, but that the political debates over the direction of US immigration policy will continue.

Reported from Washington, D.C., by correspondent Fränzi Meyer. This text summarizes previous reporting on the state of the agency and the new appointment, and retraces the key stages of the controversy surrounding ICE since the start of Trump's second term in January 2025.

The discussion over the conduct of federal agents in Minneapolis continues. Critics are demanding further clarification of the deadly shootings, while the government defends the operations as necessary to enforce immigration law. The upcoming Senate hearings will show to what extent Congress will continue to scrutinize the personnel decision and the underlying migration policy.