New Orleans police recruit was one week from graduating, then ICE revealed something shocking about him

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit just one week before his graduation. Larry Temah, 46, from Cameroon, was taken into ICE custody on January 28 because of an active deportation order. The case has raised serious concerns because the NOPD had already given Temah an official department firearm.

Federal law does not allow people who are in the country illegally to have firearms. This makes the NOPD’s decision a big problem if the federal claims are true. It seems strange that a law enforcement agency wouldn’t check basic gun ownership rules before giving out official weapons.

According to Fox News, ICE says Temah’s immigration problems started years ago. He came to the U.S. legally in 2015 with a visitor visa. In 2016, he got conditional residency after marrying a U.S. citizen. However, his application for permanent residency was denied in 2022 because of fraud, and his status was removed.

The breakdown between federal oversight and local hiring reveals serious gaps

After his application was denied, things got worse. ICE reports that Temah was told to appear in immigration court three times but never showed up. Because he didn’t appear, an immigration judge ordered him removed from the country without him being there. He also reportedly didn’t have valid work permission while working for the police department.

The Department of Homeland Security strongly criticized the New Orleans Police Department for this mistake. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said ICE is working to restore law and order under President Trump and Secretary Noem. 

She questioned how the department could hire someone who was in the country illegally and give him a gun. The agency’s enforcement activities have intensified recently, with agents conducting door-to-door immigration checks across various communities.

McLaughlin said, “This illegal alien from Cameroon, Larry Temah, is not only breaking the law with every step he takes in this country illegally, but the New Orleans Police Department hired him and issued him a firearm, what kind of law enforcement department gives criminal illegal aliens guns and badges?” 

She added that it is a crime for people who are in the country illegally to have firearms. She also blamed sanctuary cities like New Orleans for protecting people who are here illegally instead of protecting American citizens.

The New Orleans Police Department says ICE’s claims are “misleading.” A department spokesperson said they checked Temah’s work eligibility through ICE’s E-Verify system before hiring him and never received any notice about an ICE detainer. The spokesperson also said New Orleans is not a sanctuary city and explained that the NOPD doesn’t control jail operations or detainer decisions because those are handled by the Sheriff’s Office.

The NOPD firmly stated, “Any claim that NOPD knowingly violated the law is false.” There seems to be a major communication problem between federal agencies and local departments. Either the NOPD missed an important warning sign, or ICE didn’t update their E-Verify system in time. 

With ICE operations expanding to major events nationwide, questions about coordination between agencies are becoming more urgent. A man with an active deportation order who was denied residency because of fraud was weeks away from working as a police officer with a badge and gun. This system failure clearly needs to be fixed.