A group of people impersonated ICE agents at Temple University over the weekend and one, a student, has been arrested, authorities said.
Aidan Steigelmann, 22, was detained and charged with impersonating a public servant, local ABC affiliate WPVI reported. The two other suspects remain at large.
Their hijinks come amid ramped up immigration enforcement nationwide under orders from President Trump. The increased presence of ICE agents has stoked fear in immigrant communities, including throughout Philadelphia.
Cops said two of the three Temple suspects approached a university residence hall around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, identified themselves as ICE agents and demanded access to the building while another filmed the interaction, according to CBS Philadelphia. Building security clocked them as suspicious and denied access.
The three suspects were spotted shortly after at an Insomnia Cookies location near campus wearing fake ICE gear, local Fox affiliate WTXF reported. Actual police officers tracked a vehicle the suspects were traveling in and arrested Steigelmann, who was quickly suspended by Temple.
“Impersonating law enforcement officers is a crime,” university vice presidents Jennifer Griffin and Jodi Accavallo said Sunday in a statement. “This behavior and harassment of Temple community members will not be tolerated.”
The phony officers appeared at Temple just days after seven people were detained by real ICE agents at a Philadelphia car wash.