NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans Police Department recruit was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated.
The individual, not identified by police, had lived in the U.S. for a decade, Nola.com reported. ICE has not released additional details.
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Kirkpatrick said the recruit would not be granted bond and is expected to be removed from the country. The department was notified of the detainment on Jan. 28 and shared the recruit’s file with ICE, which provided guidance on reviewing immigration-related concerns.
The recruit began the hiring process with NOPD in June 2025 and passed a background check, including screening through the FBI’s National Crime Information Center and E-Verify, a federal employment verification system. He held a valid driver’s license and Social Security number.
“We did the due diligence,” Kirkpatrick said. “We were not lax on all the things we would do.”
An immigration judge in Atlanta issued a removal order on Dec. 5. The recruit, who previously lived in Georgia, was taken into custody without incident.
NOPD’s recruiting website states that applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. but are not required to be U.S. citizens, according to the report.
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