President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he is nominating Lance Schroyer to become the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Lance has over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Lance is a former Oklahoma State Trooper, and United States Marine.”

If confirmed, Schroyer will replace acting ICE Director David Venturella.

Trump continued, saying Schroyer “LOVES the men and women of ICE.”

“Importantly, Lance Schroyer has what it takes to DETAIN AND DEPORT Illegal Alien Criminals, including murders, rapists, and drug traffickers at a rate never seen before!” he wrote.

The announcement comes amid a new investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general into detainee deaths at ICE facilities.

The investigation will include a pair of reviews probing detainee deaths and proper use of force when ICE agents interact with individuals they’ve detained, according to NBC News.

More than 50 people have died in ICE custody since Trump’s return to office. There have been 20 deaths of detainees in ICE custody in 2026, according to ICE’s data. There were 33 last year, and 11 in 2024.

On Thursday, Democratic Congresswoman Lauren Underwood questioned Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the “historically high death rate” at ICE detention facilities.

He brushed off the allegation, saying that detainees were more likely to die in a state penitentiary in her state than they were in an ICE facility.

“Those are dangerous accusations that she’s making, because in the state of Illinois, they’re twice as high to die in a state penitentiary in Illinois than they are in ICE detention,” Mullin said.

The DHS inspector general wrote that the review focusing on detainee deaths was launched because deaths in ICE facilities have increased every year since 2022.

The review will examine “whether systemic factors, policies, or processes contributed to detainee deaths” between Oct. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2026.

A DHS spokesperson told NBC News that “there has been NO spike in deaths” and defended ICE’s operations.

“ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards,” the statement said. “All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”

The increase in deaths since 2022 prompted a call for action from the United Nations.

On Friday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for greater independent oversight into ICE’s handling of detainees and for those found responsible for deaths to face justice.

“I call for prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations into all deaths in ICE custody. Those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account, and the rights of the victims’ families to truth, justice and reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence must be upheld,” he said in a statement.