The New Orleans Police Department says claims made by the Department of Homeland Security concerning an NOPD recruit who was picked up by federal immigration agents are “inaccurate and misleading.”
The claims center around Larry Temah, a recruit who was taken into custody on January 28, 2026. Federal officials say Temah, 46, entered the country legally in 2015 from Cameroon and later obtained a green card by marrying a United States citizen. His green card was later revoked on suspicion that the marriage wasn’t legitimate.
After failing to appear in federal court three times, a judge ordered his deportation in absentia. DHS confirmed that Temah is in custody and will not be issued bond, though it has not confirmed if he’s already been deported.
In a statement, DHS condemned NOPD for allowing Temah to join as a recruit and for allegedly giving him a firearm, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin writing, “What kind of law enforcement department gives criminal illegal aliens guns and badges? It’s a FELONY for illegal aliens to even possess a firearm.”
DHS also slammed New Orleans’ status as a sanctuary city, saying, “Sanctuary cities like New Orleans ignore ICE detainers and are protecting illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.”
DHS said it would continue “placing detainers and enforcing immigration law.”
In a statement to WWNO, NOPD said some of the claims made by DHS aren’t true.
NOPD said federal officials never notified the department of a detainer — a request from ICE asking law enforcement agencies to hold someone suspected of being in the country without legal status for up to 48 hours to give ICE time to collect them, or a warrant for Temah before his arrest. Temah was arrested at his home.
The department also said Temah passed a background check using federal E-Verify software, which had been approved by DHS. At a press conference the day of Temah’s arrest, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said that Temah had a driver’s license and Social Security number, and there was nothing in his files to suggest he wasn’t in the country legally.
“We did our due diligence,” she said.
The department also clarified that Temah was too early in the training process to be issued a badge or a gun.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement that she has “serious concerns about how this occurred and about the hiring process,” and that her office will investigate the issue.
NOPD said in its statement that it is not a sanctuary city despite what DHS says, highlighting a clash between the police department and the federal government.
The federal government has repeatedly included New Orleans on lists of sanctuary cities and referred to it as such — such as in the DHS press release — but the city has denied this. The city says the only department that’s put forward sanctuary city-like policies is the NOPD — which has a policy against asking for immigration status when responding to calls — and that was because of a consent decree between the NOPD, city and Department of Justice.
That consent decree was terminated last year. The department, however, has continued the immigration policy, which is now under investigation by Murrill’s office. Though the policy is not in the most recent NOPD handbook, Kirkpatrick has referenced it in news conferences.
