Apolice department in Maine hired an illegal immigrant as an officer, but the cop was busted after he allegedly attempted to purchase a firearm, according to authorities. However, the chief of the police department under fire has turned the tables and blamed a federal agency for hiring an illegal alien.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Jon Luke Evans on July 25.
‘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.’
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ICE said the agency was tipped off about Evans illegally attempting to purchase a gun by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
ICE said in a statement, “Evans admitted to ICE officers that he attempted to purchase the firearm for his employment as a police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. His attempt to purchase the firearm triggered an alert to ATF agents, who worked in coordination with ICE to make the arrest.”
ICE claimed that Evans “lawfully” entered the United States at the Miami International Airport in Florida on Sept. 24, 2023.
“However, he violated the terms of his lawful admission when he overstayed his visa,” ICE stated. “Evans was scheduled to depart the U.S. on Oct. 1, 2023, but never boarded the flight.”
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Hyde continued, “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.”
“We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien,” Hyde said. “ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities.”
Evans was reportedly hired by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department in May as a summer reserve officer.
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Chief Chard said in a statement, “As part of the standard hiring process by the town and the police department, Evans was required to complete an I-9 federal immigration and work authorization form to verify that he was legally authorized to work in the United States.”
Chard claimed that Evans furnished “multiple forms of identification, including photo identification,” which were submitted before he was hired.
The town of Old Orchard Beach reportedly submitted Evans’ I-9 form to the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program.
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The Old Orchard Beach Police Department noted that the state of Maine is “one of approximately a dozen states that allows non-citizen residents to work in law enforcement.”
The Old Orchard Beach Police Department stressed that reserve officers “receive firearms training and are issued a firearm, however, reserve officers are not allowed to bring a department-issued firearm home with them and must turn their firearms into the department at the end of each shift.”
Chard added, “Reserve officers are not requested to, nor are they allowed to purchase or carry any other firearms for the performance of their duties.”
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“The Old Orchard Beach Police Department takes its legal responsibilities very seriously, and takes great care to follow the laws that we are tasked with enforcing,” Chard said.
Chard continued, “In hiring Evans, our department and our community relied on the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to ensure we were meeting our obligations, and we are distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government.”
Chief Chard declared that the police department was notified that Evans was legally permitted to work in the United States, and he is allegedly allowed to work in the U.S. until March 2030.
* Original Article:
https://www.theblaze.com/news/ice-arrests-illegal-immigrant-cop-police-chief