Biden’s ICE Nominee Ed Gonzalez Withdraws From Consideration Amid Process Delays

Ed Gonzalez, President Joe Biden’s nominee for director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has withdrawn himself from consideration for the role amid a delay in the confirmation process.

In a series of posts on Twitter late Monday night, Gonzalez said he informed the Biden administration of his withdrawal on Sunday.

“More than a year has passed since the President nominated me for this important position, which has not had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration,” he said. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the agency was led by acting officials.

“I arrived at this decision after prayerfully considering what’s best for our nation, my family, and the people of Harris County who elected me to serve a second term as Sheriff,” he continued. “I am grateful to President Biden for the honor of nominating me, and I wish this administration well as it strives to overcome the paralyzing political gridlock that threatens far more than our nation’s border. Frankly, the dysfunction threatens America’s heart and soul.”

Gonzalez, who is the Harris County Sheriff in Texas, was initially nominated in April 2021 to direct ICE, an agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The mission of ICE is to address cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten U.S. national security and public safety.

The Homeland Security Committee advanced Gonzalez’s nomination in a party-line vote in August 2021. But a vote to confirm him in the then-Republican-controlled Senate was never brought to the Senate floor by the end of the legislative session, causing the nomination to expire.

In January 2022, Biden resubmitted his nomination for Gonzalez, and in February, the Homeland Security Committee advanced the nomination for a second time.

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Before a Senate floor vote to confirm Gonzalez was due to happen, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)—the lead Republican on

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