❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an being subject to an active deportation order.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Larry Temah, a 46-year-old recruit, ICE, and the New Orleans Police Department.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Temah was arrested on January 28, just one week before his scheduled graduation from the New Orleans Police Academy.
💬KEY QUOTE: “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?” – Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary.
🎯IMPACT: The case highlights ongoing concerns over sanctuary city policies and enforcement of immigration laws.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Larry Temah, a 46-year-old recruit with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) from Cameroon, on January 28, 2026—just one week before his scheduled graduation from the police academy. Temah had been issued a firearm despite being subject to an active deportation order.
Temah entered the U.S. legally in 2015 on a visitor visa and received conditional residency in 2016 after marrying a U.S. citizen. However, his application for permanent residency was denied in 2022 due to fraud, per ICE. He failed to appear in immigration court three times, leading an immigration judge to order his removal in absentia. ICE also stated that he lacked valid work authorization.
Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms, yet the NOPD recruited Temah and provided him with a gun. “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?” said Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary. She added that it is a felony for illegal aliens to possess firearms.
An NOPD spokesman disputed ICE’s claims, claiming the department verified Temah’s employment eligibility through ICE’s E-Verify system before hiring him. The spokesman stated: “New Orleans is not a sanctuary city, and NOPD does not control jail operations or detainer decisions, which fall under the Sheriff’s Office.” They denied that the department knowingly violated any laws.
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