Ed Gonzalez, who was President Biden's nominee to be the director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has withdrawn from consideration.
FILE: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez
KTRK
The Harris County, Texas sheriff announced in a series of tweets that he informed the administration on Sunday of his decision, noting that it's been over a year since he was nominated, and Congress has yet to act on his nomination. Gonzalez is serving his second term as the sheriff of Texas' most populous county, where Houston is located.
Biden taps Texas sheriff Ed Gonzalez to oversee deportations and immigration arrests as ICE director
Gonzalez also pointed out that ICE "has not had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration."
The director of ICE is charged with overseeing thousands of officers tasked with arresting and deporting unauthorized immigrants, and with operating the sprawling U.S. immigration detention system, which is the largest in the world.
In another tweet, Gonzalez thanked Mr. Biden for the nomination and wished his administration well, "as it strives to overcome the paralyzing political gridlock that threatens far more than our nation's border." Gonzalez warned, "Frankly, the dysfunction threatens America's heart and soul."