Two illegal immigrants served as armed police officers in sanctuary jurisdictions for months before federal authorities discovered their visa overstays, exposing catastrophic failures in law enforcement vetting that put American communities at risk.
Story Highlights
- Jon Luke Evans and Radule Bojovic both overstayed visas while serving as sworn police officers
- Both worked in sanctuary jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement
- Federal law prohibits non-citizens without legal status from serving as police officers or possessing firearms
- ICE arrested both officers within three months, sparking investigations into vetting failures
Sanctuary Jurisdictions Enable Immigration Law Violations
Jon Luke Evans from Jamaica and Radule Bojovic from Montenegro both exploited sanctuary policies to serve as armed police officers while living illegally in America. Evans overstayed his visa in Maine since October 2023, while Bojovic remained unlawfully in Illinois since his tourist visa expired in March 2015. Both sanctuary jurisdictions—Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and Hanover Park, Illinois—restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, creating the perfect storm for these violations to go undetected.
The cases underscore how sanctuary policies directly undermine immigration enforcement and compromise public safety. Federal law explicitly prohibits individuals without legal immigration status from serving in law enforcement roles or possessing firearms, yet these officers carried weapons and held positions of public trust for extended periods.
Systematic Vetting Failures Expose Dangerous Gaps
Both police departments claim they followed proper hiring procedures, including E-Verify compliance and federal work authorization verification. Hanover Park officials insist Bojovic possessed a valid work authorization card from USCIS, while Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard maintains all legal steps were followed in Evans’ hiring. However, federal authorities determined both men were unlawfully present and ineligible for police service.
The discrepancies between local and federal accounts reveal critical breakdowns in the employment verification system. Evans was arrested after attempting to purchase a firearm, triggering an ATF investigation that exposed his illegal status. Bojovic was captured during ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” highlighting how federal agencies must actively hunt down violators rather than rely on local cooperation in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Trump Administration Intensifies Crackdown on Sanctuary Policies
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials have publicly blamed sanctuary policies for enabling these dangerous breaches of immigration law. The arrests occurred as the Trump administration prioritizes enforcement against sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. These cases provide concrete evidence of how sanctuary policies create public safety risks by allowing illegal immigrants to infiltrate law enforcement agencies.
The timing of both arrests within a three-month period demonstrates the administration’s renewed commitment to immigration enforcement. Federal authorities are no longer tolerating local jurisdictions that prioritize political ideology over constitutional law enforcement, especially when it involves armed individuals in positions of public trust.
Sources:
Illinois police officer arrested, accused of being in US illegally
Two illegal immigrant police officers busted in just 3 months have one thing in common
ICE arrests police officer in Hanover Park, Illinois, accuses of being in US illegally
ICE arrests suburban Chicago police officer accused of being in US illegally
