U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested an illegal immigrant working as a police officer in Maine after he allegedly tried to unlawfully purchase a firearm, officials announced on Monday.
Officers arrested Jamaican alien Jon Luke Evans with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) after his firearm purchase attempt in Biddeford on July 25 “raised concerns tied to his immigration status,” according to an agency press release.
Evans was employed as a reserve police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department at the time of his arrest, according to the agency.
“Jon Luke Evans not only broke U.S. immigration law, but he also illegally attempted to purchase a firearm. Shockingly, Evans was employed as a local law enforcement officer,” ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in a statement.
“The fact that a police department would hire an illegal alien and unlawfully issue him a firearm while on duty would be comical if it weren’t so tragic,” she continued. “We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities.”
Evans allegedly told ICE officers he tried to buy the firearm for his job as a police officer. His attempt to buy the firearm triggered an alert to ATF agents, who worked with ICE to arrest him.
According to ICE, Evans entered the United States legally on Sept. 24, 2023 through the Miami International Airport in Florida. However, Evans was supposed to leave the country by Oct. 1, 2023 — he ultimately overstayed his visa and never went home.
The Old Orchard Beach Police Department told Fox News Digital that they hired Evans in May as a seasonal officer. The department said Evans underwent a full background check, physical and medical screening, and law enforcement training.
The department said they also submitted his employment documents to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the federal E-Verify system during the hiring process. Police said DHS confirmed Evans’ eligibility to work and said his Employment Authorization Document had an expiration date of March 2030, the New York Post reported.
“Our department and our community relied on the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to ensure we were meeting our obligations,” Police Chief Elise Chard said. “We are distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government.”
Maine is one of roughly a dozen states that allows non-citizens to work in law enforcement, as long as they have a valid work permit. Old Orchard Beach reserve officers are seasonal employees who work community patrols and do not take department-issued firearms home or carry personal weapons while on duty, according to the report.
The department said Evans’ probationary status is under review, and it has launched an internal investigation into its hiring protocols.
“We take our legal responsibilities very seriously,” Chief Chard said. “We intend to investigate this matter thoroughly and determine what additional steps may be necessary moving forward.”
ICE noted that there was a similar case in April in which officers in Falmouth arrested Congolese national Gratien Milandou Wamba, 32, who was working as a corrections officer. He was also arrested for immigration violations after attempting to illegally purchase a firearm, according to the agency.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
