A Maine police officer arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has agreed to voluntarily leave the United States, federal officials said Monday.
Jon Luke Evans, a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department and originally from Jamaica, was taken into custody on July 25 as part of expanded immigration enforcement operations.
A judge approved Evans’ request for voluntary departure, meaning he will be allowed to leave the country on his own rather than undergo formal deportation proceedings.
Newsweek reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to remove millions of undocumented immigrants in line with his campaign pledge of large-scale deportations. Alongside those living in the country without legal status, some immigrants with valid documentation, including visas and green cards, have also been detained.
ICE has been under scrutiny amid allegations of overreach, sparking debates about the legality and human consequences of the agency’s tactics.
What To Know
Evans was hired as a reserve officer after Old Orchard Beach officials verified his employment authorization through DHS’s E-Verify program. At the time, federal authorities confirmed that Evans was eligible to work in the U.S. However, ICE later alleged that he had overstayed his visa and attempted to buy a firearm illegally.
According to ICE, Evans admitted that he tried to purchase the weapon for use as part of his police duties. The attempted transaction triggered an alert to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which then coordinated with ICE to arrest him.
ICE said Evans entered the U.S. legally through Miami International Airport on September 24, 2023, but overstayed after missing his scheduled October 1 departure flight.
“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 July.
The agreement for voluntary departure allows Evans to leave the country at his own expense, according to WMTW-TV.
Evans was first held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island before being moved to an ICE center in Burlington, Massachusetts.
What People Are Saying
In a July statement, ICE’s Patricia H. Hyde criticized the Old Orchard Beach Police Department’s decision to employ Evans:
“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. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities.”
What Happens Next
Evans is expected to leave the United States soon under the terms of the voluntary departure order.
The case has raised questions about the reliability of federal verification systems. Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard defended her department, stating that Evans’ work authorization had been confirmed by federal officials before his hiring.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
