Biden Nominee Drops Out After Over a Year

Goodbye! – Biden Nominee Quits Suddenly

(ConservativeHub.com) – President Joe Biden nominated Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of Harris County, Texas, to be the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in April 2021. Yet, his nomination hasn’t gone very far in Congress, where it stalled due to domestic abuse allegations. On June 27, Gonzalez announced he was withdrawing from consideration through a series of tweets.

1/5 On Sunday, I informed President Biden's administration that I am respectfully withdrawing from consideration for the post of Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 27, 2022

Gonzalez explained that while the nomination was an honor, he felt it was best for his family, the people who elected him in Harris County, and the nation to remove himself from consideration. The sheriff noted he prayed over the decision and sent good wishes to the Biden administration as it works to overcome the “political gridlock” keeping the director position vacant.

#BREAKING: Gonzalez withdraws as Biden’s ICE nominee https://t.co/cO0J7fHlGl pic.twitter.com/z1aaRkALGj

— The Hill (@thehill) June 27, 2022

Biden announced Gonzalez’s nomination on April 27, 2021. In March, Senator James Lankford raised concerns over Gonzalez as a nominee. He pointed to an affidavit alleging domestic abuse. A sworn statement from a police officer revealed the officer investigated a domestic issue between Gonzalez and his wife, Melissa Gonzalez. Lankford said if the allegations proved accurate, the situation would disqualify the sheriff from serving in the director position. He suggested delaying the confirmation until there was a resolution in the criminal case.

The confirmation has remained in limbo since then, with no resolution in the domestic matter. Gonzalez didn’t refer to the situation when announcing his decision to withdraw.