ICE Arrests Maine Cop for Overstayed Visa, Doesn't Tell Cops

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

"The Old Orchard Beach Police Department was never officially informed about Evans' detention, and the department officially learned the details of the matter in a news release issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement," Chard said.

Posted by snoofy at 04:34 PM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called E-Verify a reliable, accurate tool for verifying work authorization, but blasted Old Orchard Beach police for their "reckless reliance" on it. www.bangordailynews.com/2025/07/30/y ...

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-- Bangor Daily News (@bangordailynews.bsky.social) Jul 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM

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More from the cited article ...

... It was unclear on Tuesday if he had access to an attorney.

ICE and Chard presented different accounts of Evans' employment by the town. Chard said the department was notified by federal officials that Evans was legally permitted to work in the country and his authorization document would not expire until 2030. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-29 08:58 PM | Reply

IT'S LIKE THEY'RE COMPLETELY ILLEGAL

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-07-29 09:00 PM | Reply

This incident does not seem to be getting better ..

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-30 01:23 AM | Reply

ICE says detained Maine police officer overstayed visa. The chief says he cleared a federal check
apnews.com

... The chief of police in a Maine resort town has called for an investigation into the arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of one of its officers, who the chief said was federally approved to work in the country in May.

ICE arrested Old Orchard Beach Police Department reserve officer Jon Luke Evans, of Jamaica, on July 25. The agency said Evans was illegally present in the U.S. and unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm.

ICE said in a Monday statement that Evans had legally entered the U.S. in September 2023 and violated the terms of his admission by overstaying his visa. But Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard said in her own Monday statement that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had verified that Evans was authorized to work in the U.S. in May of this year. ...

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-30 01:25 AM | Reply

Has the Trump admin gotten so desperate for the headlines of deporting people, that they no longer seem to be targeting violent illegal immigrant criminals?

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-30 01:28 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

ICE is acting a bit like the SA did in 1930's Germany. Things didn't end well for those folks--a cautionary tale for the ICE guys...

#6 | Posted by catdog at 2025-07-30 05:15 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

He overstayed his visa by 2 years
Decided to get a job as a police officer
Clown chief of the department hires him
He tries to buy a gun and gets flagged

Did I miss anything?

HE def. FA/FO But in his defense, I guess he felt comfortable doing it when Biden was President.

#7 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-30 05:30 PM | Reply

Has the Trump admin gotten so desperate for the headlines of deporting people, that they no longer seem to be targeting violent illegal immigrant criminals?
#5 | Posted by LampLighter

Yes.

Though, this was a cop. So probably not the best example of someone who does not fall under the "violent illegal immigrant criminal" category. ;)

#8 | Posted by gtbritishskull at 2025-07-30 05:34 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

ICE is acting a bit like the SA did in 1930's Germany. Things didn't end well for those folks--a cautionary tale for the ICE guys...
#6 | Posted by catdog

Yeah, it only took a world war to stop it in Germany.

#9 | Posted by rstybeach11 at 2025-07-30 05:46 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Did I miss anything?

FTA:

"ICE and Chard presented different accounts of Evans' employment by the town. Chard said the department was notified by federal officials that Evans was legally permitted to work in the country and his authorization document would not expire until 2030."

You seem pretty confident that Chard is lying, but I don't know what you're basing that on. There really isn't enough information in the article to know for sure either way. It's entirely possible for someone to enter the country on one type of visa and either extend it or change to a different type of visa afterwards. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if someone at ICE only looked at the initial visa and saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a quota.

#10 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-07-30 10:49 PM | Reply

I'm pretty sure he wasn't approved to purchase a gun. And I'm also pretty sure that for every honest mistake in matters like these, there's 10 more dishonest excuses.

#11 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-31 08:19 AM | Reply

"I'm pretty sure he wasn't approved to purchase a gun."

The police hired a police officer who isn't allowed to have a gun.

That's your answer.

#12 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-31 08:34 AM | Reply

"Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called E-Verify a reliable, accurate tool for verifying work authorization, but blasted Old Orchard Beach police for their 'reckless reliance' on it."

Why would using a "reliable, accurate tool" be considered "reckless reliance"?

E-verify likely is not 100% accurate (duh!), but several evaluations claim its accuracy is greater than 99%!
When was using a tool that was 99+% accurate ever considered "reckless reliance"?

#13 | Posted by TrueBlue at 2025-07-31 09:07 AM | Reply

This is where the people who clutched their pearls over Biden violating people's rights will hide their heads in the sand and smile all the while they are doing it.

#14 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-07-31 09:48 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

The police hired a police officer who isn't allowed to have a gun.

That's your answer.

#12 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-31 08:34 AM | Reply | Flag:

Yes. Did you read the article?

"Evans admitted to its officers that he attempted to purchase a firearm for his employment as a police officer with the town. That triggered an alert to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which coordinated with ICE to make the arrest, the agency said in a statement"

#15 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-31 11:37 AM | Reply

^
Nowhere does that state he is not permitted to own a firearm.

#16 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-31 11:38 AM | Reply

He wasn't allowed to purchase a firearm because he wasn't allowed to be in the country.

#17 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-31 12:36 PM | Reply

He wasn't allowed to purchase a firearm because he wasn't allowed to be in the country.
#17 | Posted by lfthndthrds

He is allowed to be in the country, and work in the country, or the state wouldn't have hired him.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine (AP) " The chief of police in a Maine resort town has called for an investigation into the arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of one of its officers, who the chief said was federally approved to work in the country in May.

#18 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-31 12:52 PM | Reply | Funny: 1 | Newsworthy 1

The Federal Government says otherwise.

#19 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-31 01:41 PM | Reply

federally approved to work in the country in May.

#20 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-31 01:42 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

He said, she said.

#21 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-07-31 02:56 PM | Reply

#21 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-07-31 02:56 PM | Reply | Flag: Just another dirtbag

#22 | Posted by Angrydad at 2025-07-31 08:32 PM | Reply