The ICE apprehension of a policeman in Old Orchard Coastline, Maine, that the firm insurance claims remained in the nation unjustifiably, has actually triggered a days-long exchange of blame in between the hotel community’s authorities division and DHS.
ICE claims representatives detained Jon-Luke Evans, a Jamaican nationwide, on July 25 after he supposedly tried to unjustifiably buy a weapon. The tried acquisition “activated a sharp to ATF representatives, that operated in control with ICE to make the apprehension,” ICE stated. Evans supposedly informed ICE he was attempting to buy the tool as component of his work with the Old Orchard Coastline Authorities Division.
ICE has actually highly condemned the authorities division for working with Evans, asserting that he went into the nation legally on September 24, 2023, however overstayed his visa when he fell short to leave a week later on.
” The truth that an authorities division would certainly work with a prohibited alien and unjustifiably provide him a weapon while at work would certainly be humorous if it weren’t so unfortunate. We have an authorities division that was intentionally damaging the actual legislation they are billed with imposing in order to use a prohibited alien,” stated ICE ERO Boston acting area workplace supervisor Patricia Hyde in a declaration.
However Authorities Principal Elise Chard claims DHS had actually gotten rid of Evans to function as a policeman.
” In working with Evans, our division and our neighborhood depended on the Division of Homeland Safety and security’s E-Verify program to guarantee we were satisfying our responsibilities, and we are troubled and deeply worried concerning this evident mistake for the federal government,” she stated in a declaration.
” DHS educated the Authorities Division that Evans was licensed to function and had a Work Consent Paper that did not run out till March 2030,” she included.
united state government representatives benefiting Migration and Traditions Enforcement (ICE) apprehend immigrants and asylum applicants reporting for migration court process at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Structure’s united state Migration Court in New York City, New York City, Thursday, July 24, 2025. In current weeks, covered up representatives have actually started swiftly restraining immigrants, and sometimes, united state people, at court homes for prompt apprehension and expulsion. (Image by Dominic Gwinn/ Center East Images through AFP) (Image by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP through Getty Images)
Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP through Getty
Principal Chard claims Evans was worked with as a part-time summer season get police officer in May and finished the basic working with procedure, that included history checks, sending migration kinds to DHS, and undertaking the basic training and physical dexterity examinations as all full time law enforcement officer.
Nonetheless, in a declaration launched by the authorities division, the authorities principal stated that while get police officers are released a weapon, they are not enabled to bring the gun home and are not enabled to buy their very own gun to utilize as component of their work.
In the state of Maine, some noncitizens that remain in the nation lawfully are enabled to function as police police officers.
ABC Information has actually not individually validated Evans’ migration condition. DHS did not reply to an ask for documents that showed Evans remained in the nation unjustifiably, neither did it react when asked what sort of visa he was released.
” Use of E-Verify does not discharge companies of their lawful responsibility to validate documents credibility, and all companies must take required actions to properly validate lawful work condition. The Old Orchard Coastline Authorities Division’s careless dependence on E-Verify to validate equipping a prohibited alien, Jon Luke Evans breaks government legislation, and does not discharge them of their failing to carry out fundamental history checks to validate lawful condition,” DHS Aide Assistant Tricia McLaughlin stated in a declaration.
Old Orchard Coastline Community Supervisor Diana Asanza protected the authorities division’s working with methods.
” Today, the Division of Homeland Safety and security increased down on its strike, however in doing so has actually tossed its very own digital confirmation system right into concern. If we should not rely on words of the government computer system that validates files and work qualification, what good is that system?” she stated in a declaration.
ABC Information has actually assessed files launched by the city that become part of the 153-page employees submit it claims it assembled as component of the working with procedure.
A return to coming from Evans claims to reveal his job experience returning to October 2020, when he stated he was a mentor aide at the University of Farming, Scientific Research, and Education And Learning in Rose City, Jamaica.
It additionally reveals a four-month job at a Waffle Home in South Carolina from Might 2022 to September 2022, over a year prior to DHS insurance claims he went into the nation legally.
DHS did not reply to inquiries concerning the work background.
In his return to, Evans stated he’s a qualified farming teacher and was “looking for to shift my abilities in analytic, essential reasoning and ecological preservation to a profession in police, where I can make a favorable effect on culture.”
Principal Chard stated ICE had actually not notified her concerning his apprehension which she discovered it via a news release.
” Any type of insinuation that the Community and Division neglected in our initiatives to validate Mr. Evans’ qualification to benefit the Community is incorrect and seems an effort to move the blame onto a tireless regional police that has actually done its work,” she stated in a declaration.
