A Jamaican reserve police officer serving in Maine has agreed to voluntarily leave the United States following his arrest by immigration authorities, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Monday.
Jon Luke Evans, a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, was arrested on July 25 as part of ICE’s stepped-up enforcement efforts. Town and police officials previously said federal authorities had told them Evans was legally authorized to work in the U.S. But according to ICE, Evans legally entered the United States in September 2023, then violated the terms of his visa by failing to depart the country in October as scheduled. According to the agency, Evans admitted he had tried to purchase a firearm for his job as a police officer, triggering a federal alert and his subsequent arrest.
An ICE representative told The Associated Press that a judge granted Evans voluntary departure, allowing him to leave the country at his own expense rather than face deportation. Officials did not provide details on when Evans would depart.
Evans’ arrest sparked a dispute between Old Orchard Beach officials and ICE. Police Chief Elise Chard said the department had verified Evans’ status through the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program, while Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin accused the town of “reckless reliance” on the system.
E-Verify is an online platform employers use to confirm if workers are legally authorized for employment in the U.S.
“The town reiterates its ongoing commitment to meeting all state and federal laws regarding employment,” Chard said Monday in a statement. “We will continue to rely on the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form and the E-Verify database to confirm employment eligibility.”
By agreeing to voluntary departure, he avoids a formal deportation order.
Evans was being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island before being transferred to an ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts. It remains unclear if he is represented by an attorney.
