White House pulls ICE director nominee

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN

(CNN) — The White House is pulling former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer’s stalled nomination to serve as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In June, President Donald Trump abruptly announced that he would nominate Schroyer, putting a little-known candidate in line to lead an agency critical to the administration’s immigration crackdown.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had chosen Schroyer after his first proposed pick for the role caused friction with some White House officials. Mullin called Schroyer, who was part of his security detail in the Senate, a “good friend of mine” at a National Sheriffs’ Association event this year.

Schroyer was listed among other nomination withdrawals on the White House website.

It’s unclear why his nomination was pulled, but it had already faced steep challenges in the Senate, where Homeland Security Chairman Rand Paul had yet to schedule a confirmation hearing. The Kentucky Republican has long had a contentious relationship with Mullin, a former Oklahoma senator. The two got into a heated argument during Mullin’s confirmation hearing earlier this year.

Immigration hardliners, as well as some Homeland Security officials, had also cast doubt on Schroyer’s nomination given his lack of experience in immigration enforcement and leading a large agency.

CNN reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and White House for comment.

ICE hasn’t had a Senate-confirmed leader since the Obama administration.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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