A New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) recruit was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over his immigration status, the city's police chief said Wednesday.
NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the recruit, who was attending the police academy at the time, was arrested earlier in the day or within the past 24 hours.
"We learned about it this morning," Kirkpatrick told reporters.
"There was no struggle involved. The recruit was taken into custody without any incident whatsoever," she added.
Kirkpatrick declined to identify the recruit, referring questions on his identity and case details to ICE.
She said the department had no indication during the hiring process that the individual lacked legal status.
"There was nothing in the (personnel) packet that would have given us reason to believe that this person did not have legal status," she said.
According to Kirkpatrick, the recruit applied to join the department in June 2025, had a valid driver's license and Social Security number, and had passed the federal E-Verify employment eligibility system.
She said ICE later informed the department that an immigration judge had signed a removal order for the recruit on Dec. 5, 2025 following his application to the police force.
"The order of removal occurred after we had already hired him," she said, adding that the ruling appeared to have been issued by an immigration court in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kirkpatrick said the recruit had lived in the United States for about 10 years and had previously resided in Georgia.
"I have been told that he will not be given a bond hearing and that he will be in the process of a removal," she added.
She said the department had conducted standard criminal background checks, including a search through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, and found no criminal history.
According to Kirkpatrick, the ICE field director also confirmed the recruit had no criminal record.
She said the department had shared its personnel file with ICE and was offered guidance on identifying potential immigration-related issues in future recruitment.
"We did the due diligence," she said. "All the files looked in order."
Kirkpatrick said the arrest would not affect the department's cooperation with federal authorities.
