The deep blue state of Maine got caught employing a Jamaican immigrant who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly trying to illegally purchase a firearm, with the man going on to agree to self-deport after it was confirmed that he had been hired by the Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Police Department despite having a record of immigration violations.
For background, on July 25, 2025, Jon Luke Evans, a Maine police officer and Jamaican national, was arrested after he tried to buy a firearm, which drew attention to his history of immigration violations. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) branch, Evans agreed to voluntarily leave the country following his arrest.
In a press release issued by ICE on July 31, 2025, ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde weighed in on Evans’s case, saying, “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.”
Continuing, Hyde expressed outrage over Evans’s hiring by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, saying, “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.” She added, “We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien.”
Vowing to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, Hyde said, “ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities.” Moreover, ICE confirmed that Evans had admitted to officers that he had “attempted to purchase a firearm for his employment as a police officer.”
Furthermore, in a statement shared by Fox News Digital, Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard attempted to defend the department’s hiring of Evans, saying that federal agents had characterized the Jamaican national as being legally permitted to work in the United States. Chief Evans said, “The town reiterates its ongoing commitment to meeting all state and federal laws regarding employment.”
Additionally, Chief Chard said that her department “would not have hired Mr. Evans” had they been aware of his questionable immigration status. She continued, “Any insinuation that the town and department were derelict in our efforts to verify Mr. Evans’ eligibility to work for the town is false and appears to be an attempt to shift the blame onto a hard-working local law enforcement agency that has done its job.”
"*" indicates required fields
Adding to the bizarre nature of the case, ICE confirmed that Evans had legally entered the United States in September 2023, but he overstayed his visa, skipping a flight back to Jamaica scheduled for the following month. The agency also clarified that Evans was arrested with help from ATF agents, who were alerted when Evans tried to purchase a firearm.
Featured image credit: ICE.gov