President Donald Trump has nominated Lance Schroyer to lead the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which has become the face of his administration's hardline immigration crackdown.
Trump announced the nomination on Saturday on his Truth Social platform and urged the Senate to confirm Schroyer.
Schroyer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and former US Marine. Trump described him as a patriot.
The post became vacant after acting ICE director Todd Lyons announced months ago that he would step down.
ICE became a symbol of Trump's aggressive immigration policy during his second term.
The agency has carried out controversial immigration raids in Democrat-led cities, with officers wearing masks to conceal their identities. The operations sparked widespread protests across the United States.
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Sign upPublic backlash intensified after two US citizens were fatally shot by federal officers from multiple agencies during one of the operations in Minneapolis in January.
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