ICE has operated without an official director since 2017
The White House announcement on Thursday offered no reason for pulling Schroyer’s nomination. The Guardian has asked the White House for more information.
Schroyer previously worked as a member of Mullin’s security detail when Mullin was in the Senate, and he has been serving as an adviser to Mullin since. Critics had objected from the start that Schroyer had no formal experience working inside the agency he was selected to lead.
The nomination’s progress through the Senate was complicated by Paul, the Republican who chairs the homeland security and governmental affairs committee. Paul had not scheduled a hearing, leaving Schroyer’s confirmation in limbo.
ICE has not had an official director since 2017. The agency has been overseen by several acting directors during that period, most recently Venturella.