Temple University student arrested, suspended for impersonating ICE agent

A Temple University student has been arrested and suspended for impersonating a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, according to Philadelphia police and the school.

In a statement, Temple said three people were involved in a disruption at a business on Cecil B. Moore Avenue on Saturday night. According to police, 22-year-old Aidan Steigelmann and another person were dressed as police and ICE agents. The third person was recording the incident.

Police said two of the suspects left the scene in a light-colored SUV, while Steigelmann was arrested at 10 p.m. on the 1700 block of North 12th Street. He’s charged with impersonating a public servant and has been placed on an interim suspension by the university.

“Any student found responsible for this conduct will be subject to disciplinary action under the Student Conduct Code, up to and including expulsion,” Temple said in the statement. “Impersonating law enforcement officers is a crime. This behavior and harassment of Temple community members will not be tolerated.”

Authorities said they were alerted to an incident earlier that evening, in which two of the suspects attempted to enter Johnson and Hardwick Residence Hall and identified themselves as law enforcement officers. Steigelmann arrived and left with the two suspects in a Jaguar SUV that was later towed by police. Temple Communication Center professionals used cameras to locate the vehicle.

“As stated in an announcement posted last week, please know that neither Temple’s Department of Public Safety nor the Philadelphia Police Department have any reports of federal ICE agents being on campus,” Temple said.

Police are searching for a Black male and a white male who were wearing black shirts with “Police” on the front and “ICE” on the back at the time of the reported incidents.

On Jan. 29, seven people were detained during an ICE operation at a car wash in North Philadelphia, which a protester described as “a tactic of state violence.” The operation was conducted “based on allegations employees were being subjected to labor exploitation,” according to an ICE statement.