Former NYPD Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Impersonating ICE Official
Atickul Islam, a former sergeant with the New York City Police Department, admitted in court to impersonating a federal immigration officer. He used this impersonation to threaten a woman and her family with deportation. Prosecutors described his actions as a personal vendetta. Islam, 29, from Queens, pleaded guilty to impersonating a U.S. officer in a Brooklyn federal court. This offense carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. U.S. District Judge Dora L. Irizarry accepted his plea.
Court documents revealed that Islam falsely identified himself as the director of the New York Field Office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He sent the woman a fraudulent immigration notice, instructing her and her family to report to the ICE office by April 15, 2025. This conduct led to charges of impersonating a federal officer.
ICE had expanded under the Trump administration, boosting immigration enforcement efforts with significant funding. This expansion correlated with an increase in cases of individuals posing as ICE agents. Newsweek reached out to Islam’s attorney and ICE for comment outside regular office hours.
Text messages from March 29 indicated Islam threatened the woman and informed her that her family would live in poverty. He also claimed to know their location and threatened to contact ICE. Hours later, he called the woman from an unknown number, again posing as the ICE director. He described the call as an ‘official notice’ and threateningly advised her of possible ‘further legal action’ if she did not comply with his directions.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, condemned Islam’s actions. He emphasized the expectation of integrity among law enforcement officials and expressed zero tolerance for such abuses of power. James C. Barnacle Jr. from the FBI also criticized Islam for his misuse of authority to intimidate a victim.
Part of Islam’s plea agreement required him to resign from the NYPD, which he did five days before entering his guilty plea. Under the agreement, he cannot seek any law enforcement position in the future.
After initially pleading not guilty in November 2025, Islam was released on a $25,000 bond. His case proceeded to a change-of-plea hearing scheduled for September 30. During this time, the victim had been informed of the proceedings but chose not to attend.
Islam’s sentencing is set for March 24, 2027, with a possible maximum sentence of three years. The final sentence will be decided by the court.
In November 2025, the FBI issued a bulletin warning about criminal impersonations of ICE agents. This involved multiple cases where perpetrators used false identities to commit crimes like robbery and assault. These crimes multiplied due to the heightened profile of ICE.
An ICE spokesperson labeled the impersonation of its officers as dangerous and illegal. Offenders face criminal charges at both state and federal levels. A retired ICE agent highlighted the ease with which individuals can now impersonate agents due to broader perceptions of ICE’s presence.
For more details, contact Newsweek editors Matthew Cannon and Cristina Diciu.