ICE Arrests Illegal Alien New Orleans Police Department Recruit Who Was Illegally Given a Gun
ICE agents have arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit after determining he was in the United States without legal authorization and had an active deportation order, according to federal officials.
Larry Temah, 46, originally from Cameroon, was reportedly one week away from graduating from the New Orleans Police Academy when he was taken into custody.
In a statement provided to Fox News, the Department of Homeland Security said Temah was unlawfully present in the country and criticized the police department for hiring him and issuing him a firearm. DHS noted that federal law prohibits individuals without legal immigration status from possessing firearms and accused so-called “sanctuary city” policies of complicating immigration enforcement.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin reported that ICE confirmed Temah’s arrest, stating he had no current work authorization and an outstanding deportation order at the time he was recruited by the department.
NEW: ICE confirms to @foxnews that they’ve arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit who they say is an illegal alien from Cameroon with an active deportation order & no work authorization, & they say he was illegally given a gun by New Orleans PD.
ICE says 46-year-old… pic.twitter.com/5WmgnKBueC
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 3, 2026
According to ICE, Temah first entered the United States legally in 2015 on a visitor visa. In 2016, he received conditional residency after marrying a U.S. citizen. However, in 2022, his application for permanent residency was denied due to what authorities described as fraud. ICE said Temah failed to appear for three scheduled immigration court hearings, which led an immigration judge to order his removal in absentia.
Federal officials said this is not the first instance in which a police recruit or officer was found to be in the country unlawfully.
In October, ICE agents arrested a police officer in Hanover Park, Illinois, who they alleged was an undocumented immigrant from Montenegro. That officer, identified as Bojovic, was later released on a $2,500 immigration bond granted by a judge and was subsequently rehired by the department.
The New Orleans Police Department has not publicly commented on how Temah was hired or whether background checks revealed his immigration status prior to his arrest.
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