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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an active deportation order, just one week before he was set to graduate from the police academy.
ICE said in a press release Tuesday that 46-year-old Larry Temah was arrested Jan. 28 and remains in ICE custody.
The New Orleans Police Department recruited Temah and issued him a firearm despite federal law prohibiting illegal aliens from possessing firearms, according to ICE.
Temah entered the U.S. legally in 2015 on a visitor visa and was granted conditional residency the following year after marrying a U.S. citizen, ICE said.
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Larry Temah, a NOPD recruit, was detained by ICE, according to officials. (Department of Homeland Security)
In 2022, his application for permanent residency was denied due to fraud.
Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court three times but failed to appear, resulting in an immigration judge ordering him removed from the country in absentia, ICE said.
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ICE arrested a New Orleans police recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an active deportation order, prompting a dispute with city officials. (Octavio Jones/Reuters)
ICE also said Temah did not have valid work authorization and remains in custody pending removal proceedings.
“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?” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “It’s a felony for illegal aliens to possess a firearm.”
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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blasted NOPD for issuing a firearm to an illegal immigrant, saying it violates federal law. (Charly Triballeau/ AFP via Getty Images)
McLaughlin said ICE is restoring law and order under President Trump and Secretary Noem and accused sanctuary cities such as New Orleans of protecting illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.
A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department disputed ICE’s claims, calling them misleading.
“The New Orleans Police Department verified Mr. Temah’s employment eligibility through ICE’s E-Verify system prior to hiring and was never notified of any ICE detainer,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “New Orleans is not a sanctuary city, and NOPD does not control jail operations or detainer decisions, which fall under the Sheriff’s Office.”
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“Any claim that NOPD knowingly violated the law is false,” the spokesperson added.