By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A New Orleans Police Department recruit was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 28.
• The recruit was attending the NOPD police academy at the time of the detainment.
• NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the recruit had passed background and federal employment verification checks.
• An immigration judge issued a removal order Dec. 5, 2025, prompting ICE action.
• The recruit was taken into custody without incident and is expected to be removed from the U.S.
NEW ORLEANS, LA — A New Orleans Police Department recruit was taken into federal custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an immigration judge signed a removal order, NOPD officials said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took the unnamed recruit into custody Jan. 28 while he was attending the NOPD police academy, according to NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick said the recruit began the hiring process in June 2025 and had passed criminal background checks and federal employment eligibility verification through E-Verify.
ICE informed the department that a removal order had been issued by a judge in Atlanta on Dec. 5, 2025, leading to the recruit’s detainment despite previously cleared checks, officials said.
The recruit was taken into custody without incident and, according to the department, will not be granted bond and is in the process of being removed from the country.
NOPD shared the recruit’s file with ICE and has received federal guidance on flagging immigration-related concerns in future recruitment.
No further details have been released by ICE regarding the individual’s immigration status or specific removal timeline.