Maine’s Old Orchard BeachOfficials expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government’s lack of information regarding the issue, saying Wednesday that the police officer seized by immigration authorities in a Maine town was a trusted member of the force who is missed by his coworkers.
On July 25, Jamaican reserve officer Jon Luke Evans of the Old Orchard Beach Police Department was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Evans overstayed his visa and illegally tried to buy a gun, according to the agency, which has been increasing arrests nationwide in order to carry out President Donald Trump’s pledge of mass deportations.
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The town and police department have not received any information regarding Evans’ case, his current whereabouts, or whether he is represented by an attorney, according to Police Chief Elise Chard, who also stated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Evans was granted federal approval to work in the country in May.
A request for comment by phone and email on Wednesday was not answered by ICE officials.
For a department that depends on seasonal assistance during the hectic summer months, Evans’ arrest has been discouraging, according to Chard. Evans gained the respect of his peers and rapidly established himself as a valued officer. Evans has a wife who still resides in the area, she added.
“I’m hoping that this can be resolved, that no one is found to have done anything wrong, and that he can continue living his life as he intended,” Chard added.
According to Chard, federal officials informed the department that Evans was legally allowed to work in the nation and that his authorization document would not expire until 2030. Before Evans was hired, she claimed, the town filed information through the Department of Homeland Security’s E-VerifyProgram. Employers can use the web tool E-Verify, which was introduced in the late 1990s, to determine whether a candidate is legally permitted to work in the United States. The majority do not utilize it, however some big private firms do.
E-Verify “does not absolve employers of their legal duty” to confirm lawful employment status, according to Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, who spoke to WMTW-TV.
McLaughlin told the station that the Old Orchard Beach Police Department’s careless use of E-Verify to defend arming Jon Luke Evans, an illegal alien, is against federal law and does not excuse them from performing simple background checks to confirm legal status.
Diana Asanza, the town manager, claimed that by accusing the town of hiring an undocumented worker, the Department of Homeland Security has called into doubt its own computerized verification mechanism.
“What good is the federal computer system that checks paperwork and employment eligibility if we shouldn’t believe what it says? Asanza stated.
Evans acknowledged to its officers that he tried to buy a gun for his job as a town police officer, according to a statement released by ICE on Monday. According to a statement from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it prompted an alert to the agency, which worked with ICE to conduct the arrest.
According to the statement, Evans was supposed to leave the United States in October 2023 after having first entered the country lawfully, but he never got on his aircraft. It then claims that he overstayed his visa.
According to Chard, the circumstances surrounding the arrest are being investigated by the police department.
Rep. Lori K. Gramlich, a Democrat from Old Orchard Beach and the assistant majority leader of the Maine House, said she is requesting a federal review of the DHS permission process and E-Verify that permitted Evans to start employment in May. In a statement, she added that she also wants more precise procedures to guarantee that local law enforcement is officially informed before any activities involving its officers take place.
