An Illinois Police Officer Just Got Arrested By ICE, And The Reason He Was Able To Work For Over A Decade Raises One Huge Question

A police officer from suburban Chicago was arrested by federal immigration officials this week after they found out he had been living in the United States illegally for more than 10 years. The arrest has people asking how someone without legal status was able to become a police officer and carry a gun.

As per The Hill, Radule Bojovic, 33, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The arrest happened during a targeted operation called Operation Midway Blitz. Bojovic, who is from Montenegro, had been working as an officer with the Hanover Park Police Department. 

ICE officials say Bojovic overstayed a tourist visa that required him to leave the country by March 31, 2015. Even though he was in the country illegally, he was able to work as a police officer. This raises one huge question about how the hiring process missed such a big problem. He is the second police officer arrested this year for the same reason. Back in July, a Maine police officer named Jon Luke Evans from Jamaica was also arrested by immigration officials and agreed to leave the country on his own.

The Hiring Process Clearly Had Some Serious Gaps

Federal law is clear about this. People in the country illegally are not allowed to own or have guns. Sam Olson, who runs ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office, talked about what happened. “Illegal aliens are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms — full stop,” Olson said. “This is the second known instance in recent months of a local police department hiring an illegal alien and unlawfully issuing him a firearm while on duty in violation of federal law.”

This case comes at a time when security threats are a real concern. Just recently, a shooter killed two Israeli diplomats in what officials called an act of anti-Semitic terrorism, showing why proper background checks and security steps matter so much.

When agents arrested Bojovic, he showed them his work ID card from the Hanover Park Police Department. He told them he was not carrying a gun because he was only allowed to carry his firearm when he was working. This shows he knew about some rules but was still able to work in law enforcement.

Bojovic had just graduated from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy on August 22. He had been going through training in the field before his arrest. This means he was pretty new to the job, even though his visa had run out years ago. The Hanover Park Police Department has not said anything about the arrest yet.