‘Leave us alone’: Trump’s ICE pick sparks unusual backlash from inside agency

WASHINGTON, DC: The Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a department which is significantly vital to achieving President Donald Trump’s key objective to deport illegal migrants, has been caught in upheaval over the new appointment to lead the agency.

According to a report, ICE troops are turning on Trump, saying they don't want to be told what to do.

ICE official upset over Trump’s pick for leadership

Officials within the Department of Homeland Security are fuming over Trump’s pick to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump has nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol major and senior advisor at the Department of Homeland Security, to lead US Immigration and Customs Enforcement permanently.

Schroyer’s nomination is yet to be approved, as it is stalled in the Senate.

“We don’t want [Schroyer]. We don’t need him. Leave us alone. We are running better than ever,” said one of the officials. “People need to stop telling us how to do what we do best.”

Six officials and other sources told Politico the preferred pick is acting director Dave Venturella, an ally of border czar Tom Homan.

Trump’s pick is an associate of DHS Secretary

Schroyer is a longtime associate of Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and Trump’s decision to nominate him has spurred a backlash from the agency in June, the report added.

Discussing the reason behind it, The Oversight Project president Mike Howell told outlet that Schroyer lacks a record on deportations.

“If the whole point was to have someone with no immigration enforcement background either ideologically, politically or operationally as secretary, then it’s kind of odd to have a similar person as the head of ICE,” Howell said.

Another official characterized Mullin's pushing Schroyer into the position as a misstep.

"[That] shows how out of touch Mullin is," an official was quoted as saying in the report. "That’s not even JV level for literally the most important job in the admin that remains unfilled."

Lance Schroyer's nomination stands in limbo

While Trump has strongly pushed for Lance Schroyer to lead ICE, his nomination currently stands in limbo  as Senate Homeland Security Chair Rand Paul's (R-KY) demands the administration share information about probes into the violent deaths of two American citizens at ICE's hands.

Paul has blocked the hearing  on Schroyer until probe details into the killing are shared with the upper chamber.

While there are challenges on the path to bringing Schroyer to the position, Trump remains staunch in his decision.