President Joe Biden on Tuesday again nominated Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to serve as director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The position is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. ICE has gone five years without a Senate-confirmed leader.
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President Biden first nominated Gonzalez in April 2021 and several months later in July 2021, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held its confirmation hearing for Gonzalez. In August, the committee approved his nomination. Out of the committee since the summer, a full vote by the Senate never came.
Left pending in the Senate, the nomination expired Monday when the first session of the 117th Congress formally ended. Per Senate rules, nominations not confirmed before the end of a legislative session must be resubmitted.
If the Senate does confirm his nomination, Gonzalez would oversee the enforcement of U.S immigration law.
Gonzalez, a lifelong Houstonian, began his law enforcement career with the Houston Police Department, where he worked first as a civilian employee then as an officer, homicide detective, hostage negotiator, and lastly a sergeant.
He served three terms on the City Council before being elected sheriff in 2016. In 2020, he was re-elected.