NEW ORLEANS, LA – The New Orleans Police Department confirmed this week that a recently hired officer was detained by ICE, a development Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick described as “deeply unfortunate” and unlike anything she has encountered since Prohibition.
Department officials said the officer passed the standard hiring process, which the chief noted has remained largely unchanged because “it has worked fine for a very long time.” When asked how an undocumented individual made it onto the force, Kirkpatrick explained that the department focuses on character, discipline, and “the basics,” rather than newer federal paperwork requirements. She also said she sent a fax to immigration asking about the man’s status but never received a return fax.
Sources inside NOPD said the chief was surprised to learn immigration status is now routinely verified during background checks, adding that the process once relied more heavily on personal references and trust.
Kirkpatrick acknowledged the department may review its hiring procedures but warned against unnecessary modernization. “Not every new system improves things,” she said, recalling a time when interagency coordination was simpler and federal agents did not appear without advance notice.
ICE officials confirmed the detention and declined further comment, noting the situation “raised questions on both sides.”
