Maine officer arrested by ICE despite work approval agrees to self-deport

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed The Associated Press on Monday that a police officer who was detained by immigration officials in Maine last month despite having been granted permission to work in the United States has consented to return to his native Jamaica voluntarily.

According to a news release from the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, the department found out that reserve officer Jon Luke Evans was placed under ICE detention.

Evans allegedly overstayed his visa in 2023 despite having lawfully entered the country through Miami International Airport, according to ICE.

According to the police department, Evans’ I-9 federal immigration and work authorization form was cleared by the Department of Homeland Security’s E-verify system upon his hiring as a part-time seasonal reserve officer.

However, ICE claimed that Evans’ attempt to purchase a firearm “triggered an alert to ATF agents, who worked in coordination with ICE to make the arrest.”

Elise Chard, the chief of police at Old Orchard Beach, stated in a statement that Evans would not have been allowed to start working as a reserve officer until Homeland Security confirmed his status. “The Police Department was notified that Evans was legally permitted to work in the U.S., and his I-766 Employment Authorization Document was not set to expire until March 2030.”

This apparent miscalculation on the part of the federal government has left the police department “distressed and deeply concerned,” according to Chard.

Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of homeland security, charged the municipality with relying too heavily on the department’s E-Verify service.

Evans may quit as early as Monday after a judge approved his voluntary departure, according to the Associated Press.