A Temple University student was suspended and arrested after allegedly impersonating a U.S. Immigration and Enforcement Unit (ICE) agent on the school’s North Philadelphia campus on Saturday, Feb. 1, Temple University said in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 2.
Aidan Steigelmann, 22, and two other unidentified suspects were allegedly imitating ICE agents on the school’s campus when they tried to enter. They were denied access to the Johnson and Hardwick Residence Halls just after 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, per CBS News Philadelphia.
Steigelmann and the two other individuals were having a conversation before they all departed the area in a Jaguar SUV, police said, per CBS News Philadelphia.
Around 10 minutes later, authorities were notified that Steigelmann and one other suspect were allegedly wearing shirts that said “Police” and “ICE” and were disrupting the business. The third person was recording the incident. The three suspects were located after investigators used the footage to track the Jaguar SUV. At 10 p.m., Steigelmann was arrested by police on the 1700 block of North 12th Street.
Stock image of ICE operation.
Bryan Cox/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images
Steigelmann was charged with impersonating a public servant. He was placed on an interim suspension on Sunday, Feb. 2, per the university statement.
“Any student found responsible for this conduct will be subject to disciplinary action under the Student Conduct Code, up to and including expulsion,” the university’s statement read. “Impersonating law enforcement officers is a crime. This behavior and harassment of Temple community members will not be tolerated.”
Temple University Police (TUPD) and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) are investigating the incident, the university said.
Steigelmann’s arrest follows the university’s Wednesday, Jan. 29 statementnotifying the student body that “neither Temple’s Department of Public Safety nor the Philadelphia Police Department have any reports of federal ICE agents being on campus.”
The statement was issued after President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
If anyone has information regarding this incident, they are asked to contact Temple Police at Investigations@temple.edu or call 215-204-1234.
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Representatives for the Philadelphia Police Department and Temple University did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Monday.
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