ICE Has $75 Billion for Trump's Immigration Crackdown — But Still No Senate-Confirmed Leader

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has been provided $75 billion under President Donald Trump's 2025 spending law, but remains without a Senate-confirmed director after the White House withdrew its latest nominee on 17 September.

The White House withdrew the nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The move leaves David Venturella performing the duties of ICE director while the administration considers its next nominee.

At the same time, $61 billion of the $75 billion allocated to ICE under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act remained unobligated at the end of June, according to an analysis of Office of Management and Budget data by Senate Budget Committee staff.

ICE's Funding Expanded Under the 2025 Law

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in July 2025, provided ICE with $75 billion in funding. The money was intended to support the agency's immigration enforcement and other operations under the legislation.

The Senate Budget Committee's analysis found that $61 billion of that allocation remained unobligated at the end of June 2026. The term means the funds had not yet been legally committed to specific spending obligations; it does not mean the money was necessarily sitting as cash in an ICE account.

ICE also received another $38.5 billion under the Secure America Act, which became law in June 2026. None of that allocation had been obligated by the end of June, according to the same analysis.

Schroyer's Nomination Was Withdrawn

Trump nominated Schroyer in June to serve as an assistant secretary of Homeland Security and lead ICE. CBS News reported that Schroyer had served as a senior adviser to Mullin and previously worked as an Oklahoma state trooper.

The White House's 17 September withdrawal notice officially identifies the nominee as Richard Schroyer, of Oklahoma, while contemporary reporting from AP and CBS News identifies him as Lance Schroyer. CBS's earlier report on his nomination also describes him as Richard 'Lance' Schroyer.

Schroyer's nomination did not advance through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Chairman Rand Paul had said he was waiting for information from the Department of Homeland Security about investigations into fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents before proceeding with a confirmation hearing.

Paul told AP he did not have a concern about Schroyer personally but was still waiting for the requested information. The White House did not provide a reason for withdrawing the nomination, so the withdrawal should not be attributed directly to Paul or the Senate.

ICE Continues Under Acting Leadership

The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017. Venturella has been performing the duties of ICE director since Todd Lyons left the post earlier in 2026.

The prolonged absence of a confirmed director comes as ICE occupies a central role in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement programme. The agency's leadership structure therefore remains dependent on an acting official while a new permanent nominee has yet to be announced. The White House has not indicated when it will nominate another candidate for the position.

Senators Press for Greater Oversight

The leadership vacancy has also drawn renewed attention from lawmakers seeking greater scrutiny of ICE. Sen. Gary Peters, the Michigan Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called for Paul to bring Mullin and Venturella before the committee.

Peters said Americans were calling for ICE to 'deescalate its immigration enforcement tactics' and urged the administration to nominate a permanent leader who would provide greater transparency and accountability. 'Despite the public's urging,' Peters added, 'we now have an agency that has been engaging in increasingly questionable and escalatory behavior and refuses to be transparent and accountable to the American people.'

Those statements are Peters' characterisations of the agency's conduct and should not be presented as established findings. The immediate factual issue is that ICE has substantial appropriated funding remaining unobligated while its latest attempt to install a Senate-confirmed leader has been withdrawn.