Maine Police Officer Agrees Voluntary Departure After ICE Arrest

Jon Luke Evans, a reserve police officer from Jamaica serving in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying his visa despite previously being authorized to work in the U.S. through the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system, which led to a dispute between local officials and federal authorities over the reliability of the employment verification process. ICE stated that Evans triggered an alert when he attempted to purchase a firearm for his police duties, which led to his arrest as part of the Biden administration's intensified immigration enforcement efforts. Evans has agreed to voluntary departure, allowing him to leave the country at his own expense and avoid formal deportation proceedings. Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard expressed distress over the situation, emphasizing the department’s compliance with federal employment laws, while Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin criticized the town's reliance on E-Verify. This case highlights ongoing tensions and controversies surrounding immigration enforcement policies under President Donald Trump’s administration, including concerns about due process and the treatment of immigrants with valid work authorizations. Evans was held at a detention facility in Rhode Island before transfer to an ICE facility in Massachusetts pending his departure.