Police at Temple University in Philadelphia are investigating reports of a bizarre incident involving two students posing as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Students busted for impersonating ICE agents
The incident, which took place over the weekend, has led to one arrest and the suspension of multiple students.
According to FOX 29 in Philadelphia, two individuals impersonated ICE agents while a third person filmed the event at a campus business.
University police confirmed they received reports of impersonation attempts by people wearing wore shirts emblazoned with the words “ICE” and “POLICE” in bold white letters on Saturday night at Insomnia Cookies.
One of the group members videotaped the scene while the others carried out the act. Temple police also stated that earlier the same evening, the trio tried to gain entry to a residence hall but were denied access.
Temple University police noted that following initial inquiries, a student was arrested and placed under interim suspension.
Officers identified 22-year-old Aidan Steigelmann as one of the involved individuals. He now faces charges of impersonating a public servant.
The group suspects also include two current students and a former student, though it’s unclear if Steigelmann is still attending the university.
“It is deeply troubling and disappointing to know behavior like this reportedly occurred on our campus,” Temple’s police department stated, addressing the gravity of the situation.
“As stated in a previous email to the Temple community on Sunday, impersonating law enforcement officers is a crime,” the division reiterated. “This behavior and harassment of Temple community members will not be tolerated.”
They also confirmed there were never any formal reports of actual ICE agents on the Pennsylvania campus.
ICE agents arrest 100 violent gang members
Meanwhile, across the country, real ICE agents have been actively carrying out significant operations.
ICE units targeted the Tren de Aragua gang in Aurora, Colorado, conducting sweeping pre-dawn raids at multiple apartment complexes.
ICE’s Denver branch disclosed that alongside agents from the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, and Customs and Border Protection, operations were launched to apprehend approximately 100 gang members.
However, the agency has not specified the exact number of arrests made during the raids. Federal law enforcement sources revealed that four locations in the Denver metropolitan area were targeted, with suspects being apprehended and loaded onto waiting buses.
One notable raid took place at The Edge apartment complex in Aurora. This property, described as having fallen into decay, had reportedly been overtaken by gang members from Venezuela.
Residents of the complex reported witnessing agents pounding on doors and demanding they open up.
The Edge had become infamous after a previous viral video captured armed gang members storming units and engaging in a fatal shooting.
The Tren de Aragua gang’s reputation for violence was further highlighted by a December incident at the same apartment complex.
Officials reported that gang members had kidnapped a couple and subjected them to hours of torture and theft.
DEA teams also reportedly targeted other areas using flash-bang devices in an effort to root out organized criminal activity.
Additional ICE efforts included the arrest of a Guatemalan national in Maryland, adding another layer to these widespread enforcement actions.
Illegal immigrant apprehended after failed custody transfer
The individual, identified as Gener Pop-Cuz, was apprehended after Prince George’s County’s correctional authorities declined to follow an immigration detainer request on February 1.
Pop-Cuz resisted arrest before being subdued and taken into custody, despite what ICE described as limited cooperation from local corrections officers.
Pop-Cuz, who originally entered the U.S. near Texas in 2017, had been ordered to return to Guatemala following a missed immigration court hearing.
He now faces accusations of deadly weapons possession, after the Laurel Police Department arrested and charged him with possessing a loaded firearm, illegal ammunition possession, and trespassing, among other offenses.
“The corrections department released Pop into the lobby, instead of safely handing him over to the ICE deportation officer who was waiting for the exchange, and he resisted arrest during the initial encounter,” ICE stated.
Matthew Elliston, acting Field Office Director for Baltimore’s ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, criticized the handling of Pop-Cuz’s case, stressing the importance of local agencies assisting federal authorities.
“Nobody wins when jurisdictions fail to transfer custody of violent offenders,” Elliston asserted.
He went on to urge local authorities to prioritize the safety of officers and communities over politics, saying, “Cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE is critical to ensuring the safety of our officers, the public, and even the criminal aliens in custody.”
Elliston concluded his statement by advocating for a reevaluation of current policies, hoping for a future where political considerations no longer conflict with protective measures for Maryland residents.
