ICE arrests Jamaican national working as cop after alleged gun issue — police chief blames feds for hiring illegal alien

A police department in Maine hired an illegal immigrant as an officer, but the cop was busted after he allegedly attempted to purchase a firearm, according to authorities. However, the chief of the police department under fire has turned the tables and blamed a federal agency for hiring an illegal alien.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Jon Luke Evans on July 25.

'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.'

Evans — a Jamaican national — had been hired as a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. However, ICE noted that Evans reportedly overstayed his visa and triggered red flags when he attempted to purchase a gun in relation to his role with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department.

ICE said the agency was tipped off about Evans illegally attempting to purchase a gun by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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ICE said in a statement, "Evans admitted to ICE officers that he attempted to purchase the firearm for his employment as a police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. His attempt to purchase the firearm triggered an alert to ATF agents, who worked in coordination with ICE to make the arrest."

ICE claimed that Evans "lawfully" entered the United States at the Miami International Airport in Florida on Sept. 24, 2023.

"However, he violated the terms of his lawful admission when he overstayed his visa," ICE stated. "Evans was scheduled to depart the U.S. on Oct. 1, 2023, but never boarded the flight."

ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde stated, "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."

Hyde continued, "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," Hyde said. "ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities."

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Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Evans was reportedly hired by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department in May as a summer reserve officer.

Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard lashed out over the ICE accusations against her department and blamed the federal government for the hiring of the illegal alien.

Chief Chard said in a statement, "As part of the standard hiring process by the town and the police department, Evans was required to complete an I-9 federal immigration and work authorization form to verify that he was legally authorized to work in the United States."

Chard claimed that Evans furnished "multiple forms of identification, including photo identification," which were submitted before he was hired.

The town of Old Orchard Beach reportedly submitted Evans' I-9 form to the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program.

"The Department of Homeland Security then verified that Evans was authorized to work in the U.S.," the Old Orchard Beach Police Department stated. "The form was submitted and approved by DHS on May 12, 2025. Evans would not have been permitted to begin work as a reserve officer until and unless Homeland Security verified his status."

The Old Orchard Beach Police Department noted that the state of Maine is "one of approximately a dozen states that allows non-citizen residents to work in law enforcement."

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Image Source: Old Orchard Beach Police Department

The Old Orchard Beach Police Department stressed that reserve officers "receive firearms training and are issued a firearm, however, reserve officers are not allowed to bring a department-issued firearm home with them and must turn their firearms into the department at the end of each shift."

Chard added, "Reserve officers are not requested to, nor are they allowed to purchase or carry any other firearms for the performance of their duties."

Chief Chard pointed out that her police department would "conduct a thorough internal review of the facts and circumstances."

"The Old Orchard Beach Police Department takes its legal responsibilities very seriously, and takes great care to follow the laws that we are tasked with enforcing," Chard said.

Chard continued, "In hiring Evans, our department and our community relied on the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to ensure we were meeting our obligations, and we are distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government."

Chief Chard declared that the police department was notified that Evans was legally permitted to work in the United States, and he is allegedly allowed to work in the U.S. until March 2030.

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