Photo credit: WGME
Could it be a case of the famous saying that justice is blind as the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Maine police officer?
An Old Orchard Beach Police Department reserve officer Jon Luke Evans, a Jamaican, was arrested ICE on July 25. According to the agency, Evans was illegally present in the US and unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm.
In a statement on Monday, ICE said Evans had legally entered the US in September 2023. He was said to have violated the terms of his admission by violating his visa.
However, Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard said the US Department of Homeland Security had verified that Evans was authorized to work in the UD in May of this year.
As would be expected, ICE and Chard presented different stories about the arrested man’s employment by the town. Chard said the department was notified by federal officials that Evans was legally permitted to work in the country and his authorization document would not expire until 2030.
She said the department is “distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government.” She promised that the department will investigate to determine the next step it can take to ensure the town’s compliance in the future. She also said the department would conduct an internal rwview of the circumstances of the case.
But ICE said Evans admitted to its officers that he attempted to purchase a firearm for his employment as a police officer with the town. That triggered an alert to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The body coordinated with ICE to make the arrest, according to the agency.
The statement further said Evans was scheduled to depart the US in October 2023, but he never boarded the flight.
Maine is one of the few states that employs noncitizens for law enforcement duties, according to Chard. They are part-time seasonal employees who are assigned a variety of tasks, including community policing and beach patrol by foot and bicycle.
She said Chard passed the physical and medical checks, and a background check. He also underwent the standard course of training before being deployed on duty.
