Undocumented Jamaican working as reserve cop in Maine arrested by ICE

A Jamaican man deemed to be in the United States out of status, but working as a police officer in Maine, was arrested on Friday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

The man, Jon Luke Evans, was reportedly arrested after he illegally tried to purchase a gun in Maine.

ICE said that Evans lawfully entered the United States through Florida in September 2023 and was scheduled to depart a week later but never boarded the flight.

ICE said that he violated the terms of his lawful admission to the United States when he overstayed his visa.

ICE Boston said that Evans was employed as a reserve police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police department. The police department said he was employed in May as part of its summer programme.

According to ICE, its officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston, in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested Evans in Biddeford where he attempted to purchase a gun.

ICE Boston said that Evans admitted to agents that he tried to purchase the gun for his employment as a police officer with the Old Orchard Police Department.

“Jon Luke Evans not only broke US immigration law but he also illegally attempted to purchase a firearm,” Patricia Hyde, ICE Boston’s acting field office director was quoted in news reports as saying.

The ICE acting director was further quoted as saying 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 was not 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 was further quoted as saying.

The Old Orchard Police Department said in a statement on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had reviewed forms associated with Evans' hire.

“As part of the standard hiring process by the town and the police department Evans was required to complete a 1-9 federal immigration and work authorisation form to verify that he was legally authorised to work in the United States," the statement by the police chief Elise Chard said.

The statement further said that, as part of the hiring process, the town reviewed multiple forms of identification, including photo identification, and submitted Evans’ 1-9 form to Homeland Security’ E-Verify Programme.

It said the Department of Homeland Security then verified that Evans was authorised to work in the US. It said that DHS approved his employment on May 12, 2025.

The department said that Evans would not have been permitted to work until and unless Homeland Security verified that he was authorised to work.

The police department said that reserve officers are trained in firearm use and given firearms while on duty but are not permitted to take them home.

They are also not permitted to purchase firearm for personal use, the department said.

- Lester Hinds

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.