ICE Arrests NOPD Recruit with Deportation Order

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Larry Temah, a 46-year-old recruit with the New Orleans Police Department, on January 28, 2026, in New Orleans. Temah, a native of Cameroon, was taken into custody at his home just one week before his scheduled graduation from the police academy. Authorities stated that he had been issued a department firearm despite an active deportation order and lack of work authorization.

Temah first entered the United States legally in 2015 on a visitor visa. He obtained conditional residency status the following year after marrying a U.S. citizen. However, his application for permanent residency was denied in 2022 because of allegations of fraud in the marriage, according to ICE. Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court on three separate occasions but did not attend any of the hearings. As a result, an immigration judge issued a deportation order in absentia around December 2025.

Federal law prohibits individuals without legal authorization from possessing firearms, classifying such possession as a felony. ICE officials emphasized that Temah's situation violated these regulations, noting that the New Orleans Police Department...