NOPD trainee detained by ICE due to federal immigration removal order

New Orleans Police Recruit Detained by ICE

A newly hired recruit of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for being in the country illegally, as announced by the police chief on Wednesday.

NOPD Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick shared that the individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, joined the force in June 2025 after successfully completing the police academy.

“We found out about it this morning,” Kirkpatrick mentioned, adding that the arrest was made without any incident. “The recruit was taken into custody without struggle.”

Kirkpatrick did not provide the recruit’s name, directing inquiries about his identity to ICE. Efforts to obtain further information from ICE have been initiated.

She stated that the department had no prior indication that the recruit was not legally present in the U.S. during the hiring process. “There was nothing in the personnel packet that suggested any legal issues,” she noted. “Some questions might have arisen later, but at that time, we had no reason to doubt.”

The recruit applied to join NOPD in June 2025, possessing a valid driver’s license and Social Security number, and passed the federal government’s E-Verify system. However, ICE eventually informed the department that an immigration judge had signed an order for the recruit’s dismissal on December 5, 2025, after his application to join the police force.

“The termination order came after we had already hired him,” Kirkpatrick added, clarifying that the recruit had been in the U.S. for around ten years and previously lived in Georgia.

NOPD performed a standard background check, including a review of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, which revealed no criminal history. Kirkpatrick mentioned that ICE officers also affirmed that the individual had no criminal record.

“We did our due diligence,” she affirmed. “I’ve heard that he didn’t have a bond hearing and is in the process of being removed from the United States,” Kirkpatrick concluded.