Bill Melugin
@BillMelugin_
NEW: ICE confirms to
@foxnews
that they’ve arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit who they say is an illegal alien from Cameroon with an active deportation order & no work authorization, & they say he was illegally given a gun by New Orleans PD.
ICE says 46-year-old Larry Temah was one week away from graduating the New Orleans PD academy when they arrested him.
They say Temah first entered the US legally in 2015 on a visitor’s visa and was granted conditional residency after marrying a US citizen in 2016. However, in 2022, his application for permanent residency was denied to due to fraud.
ICE says Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court three times, but never did, disregarding US laws, which resulted in an immigration judge ordering him deported in absentia, resulting in his active deportation order.
DHS statement to FOX:
“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? It’s a FELONY for illegal aliens to even possess a firearm. Sanctuary cities like New Orleans ignore ICE detainers and are protecting illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.”
NEW: ICE confirms to @foxnews that they’ve arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit who they say is an illegal alien from Cameroon with an active deportation order & no work authorization, & they say he was illegally given a gun by New Orleans PD.
ICE says 46-year-old… pic.twitter.com/5WmgnKBueC
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 3, 2026
The New Orleans Police Department hired 46-year-old Larry Temah in June 2025 and issued him a service weapon despite his status as an illegal alien from Cameroon with a 2022 residency denial for fraud. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5), it is a federal felony for any person illegally or unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm, yet this recruit was one week away from becoming a sworn officer. This failure is a direct consequence of New Orleans functioning as a sanctuary city that deliberately limits communication with federal immigration authorities. People are ignoring the fact that the department’s “due diligence” failed to catch a fugitive who ignored three court dates and was ordered deported in absentia. When a city prioritizes sanctuary policies over basic background checks, you end up with the absurd reality of the police department arming the very people federal law requires them to detain.