A police department nearly graduated an illegal immigrant accused of fraud from its academy.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Larry Temah, a 46-year-old man from Cameroon, one week before his scheduled graduation from the New Orleans Police Department academy last month.

Temah, hired in June and issued a firearm despite his illegal status, drew criticism from the Department of Homeland Security, while NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated no information during hiring indicated he lacked legal status.

Uncovering Temah's Deceptive Past

The issue has ignited fierce debate over immigration enforcement and public safety. How does someone with a deportation order slip through the cracks of a major city’s police department?

According to the Daily Wire, Temah entered the United States in 2015 on a visitor’s visa, later gaining conditional residency through marriage to an American citizen in 2016. By 2022, the federal government denied his bid for permanent status due to fraud allegations, and after missing three immigration court hearings, a judge ordered his deportation. He ignored the order, prompting ICE to track him down.

Shockingly, Temah applied to NOPD in June 2025, passing an E-Verify check with a valid driver’s license and Social Security number. Kirkpatrick noted that standard background checks, including a search of the National Crime Information Center database, revealed no criminal history. NOPD only learned of the deportation order on December 5, well after hiring him.

DHS Slams Sanctuary City Policies

DHS didn’t hold back in its criticism of NOPD’s oversight, pointing to broader issues with so-called sanctuary cities. “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?” DHS told Fox News.

Further, DHS emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “It’s a FELONY for illegal aliens to even possess a firearm.” They accused cities like New Orleans of ignoring ICE detainers, arguing that such policies shield illegal immigrants while endangering American citizens. This isn’t just a slip-up; it’s a systemic failure.

Kirkpatrick, on the other hand, defended NOPD’s process, insisting they had no reason to suspect Temah’s status during hiring. The timing of the deportation order, she argued, came after his application was processed. But is that enough to excuse arming someone who shouldn’t even be in the country?

Broader Implications for Law Enforcement

This isn’t an isolated incident, as federal authorities also arrested Radule Bojovic, an illegal immigrant from Montenegro, working as an officer for the Hanover Police Department in Illinois last October. Bojovic, hired in January 2025 with a federal work permit, overstayed a tourist visa from 2015 but has since returned to duty after posting a $2,500 immigration bond. How many more cases like this are out there?

These incidents expose a glaring vulnerability in how law enforcement agencies vet candidates. If E-Verify and background checks can’t catch deportation orders or visa overstays, what good are they? Public safety demands better.

The left often pushes for leniency on immigration, but at what cost when it infiltrates the very institutions meant to protect us? Temah’s case shows how porous systems and sanctuary policies can backfire, putting communities at risk. It’s not about hostility toward individuals; it’s about enforcing laws that keep everyone safe.

What’s Next for NOPD Oversight?

NOPD must answer tough questions about its hiring protocols and whether political pressures to appear inclusive override common sense. Will they tighten scrutiny, or will this be swept under the rug as just another bureaucratic oversight?

DHS’s frustration with sanctuary city policies isn’t new, but cases like Temah’s and Bojovic’s amplify the stakes. Ignoring ICE detainers isn’t a noble stand; it’s a reckless gamble with public trust. Law enforcement can’t afford to be a testing ground for ideological experiments.

What happens next could set a precedent for departments nationwide. If NOPD doesn’t overhaul its vetting, expect more headlines like this—and more erosion of confidence in those sworn to serve. America deserves police forces that prioritize legality and safety over political posturing.