New Orleans, LA. – New Orleans police officials are disputing the circumstances surrounding the hiring of a police academy recruit who ICE says was living in the United States illegally under an active deportation order.
ICE announced that agents arrested Larry Temah, 46, a Cameroonian national, at his home last week, just a week prior to his academy graduation.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin alleged the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) hired Temah and issued him a firearm despite what ICE described as his unlawful immigration status and an existing removal order.
According to ICE, Temah first entered the United States legally on a visitor visa in 2015. The agency said he later received conditional residency in 2016 after marrying a U.S. citizen. ICE claims his green card application was denied in 2022 after federal authorities raised concerns that the marriage was fraudulent. ICE further alleged that Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court but failed to show up on three occasions, after which an immigration judge issued a deportation order.
The Trump administration has since accused NOPD of recruiting Temah and providing him a firearm despite his alleged status and removal order. However, NOPD pushed back, calling ICE’s characterization misleading.
In a statement, a police department spokesperson said NOPD verified Temah’s employment eligibility using ICE’s E-Verify system prior to hiring and was never informed of an ICE detainer. The spokesperson also said New Orleans is not a sanctuary city and noted that jail operations and detainer decisions fall under the Sheriff’s Office, not the police department.
“Any claim that NOPD knowingly violated the law is false,” the spokesperson added.
