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

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press OLD ORCHARD BEACH Maine AP The chief of police in a Maine resort town has called for an inquiry into the arrest by U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement of one of its officers who the chief commented 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 The agency stated Evans was illegally present in the U S and unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm ICE noted in a Monday declaration that Evans had legally entered the U S in September and violated the terms of his admission by overstaying his visa But Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard mentioned in her own Monday announcement that the U S Department of Homeland Safety had verified that Evans was authorized to work in the U S in May of this year The Old Orchard Beach Police Department and ICE functionaries did not respond to requests for a status update about Evans development It was unclear on Tuesday if he had access to an attorney This image provided by the U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows Jon Luke Evans U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE via AP ICE and Chard presented different accounts of Evans employment by the town Chard noted the department was notified by federal functionaries that Evans was legally permitted to work in the country and his authorization document would not expire until Chard mentioned the town submitted information via the Department of Homeland Safeguard s E-Verify Initiative E-Verify is an online system launched in the late s that allows employers to check if foreseen employees can work legally in the U S Specific large private employers use it but largest part do not She mentioned the department is distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal executive and will investigate to determine what approaches it can take to ensure the town s compliance in the future She revealed the department would also conduct an internal review of the circumstances of the occurrence 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 stated Related Articles Democrats try again to revive the Voting Rights Act but face long odds Civil rights agency sued over handling of transgender worker discrimination complaints under Trump New whistleblower emerges against Trump lawyer ahead of confirmation vote Democratic-led states sue Trump administration over Planned Parenthood funding cuts Trump administration wants Harvard to pay far more than Columbia as part of settlement ICE announced in a comment that 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 commented in a declaration Evans was scheduled to depart the U S in October but never boarded his departing flight the declaration says We have a police department that was knowingly current the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien Patricia H Hyde the acting field office director of the U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston reported in a announcement Old Orchard Beach is a popular summer vacation destination in Maine beloved for its boardwalk beach and downtown amusement park It is a highly seasonal area that is the bulk operational in the summer when it swells with visitors and requires a larger police presence than the slower colder months Maine is one of about a dozen states that allow noncitizen residents to work in law enforcement Chard commented They are part-time seasonal employees who are assigned a variety of tasks including locality policing and beach patrol by foot and bicycle she commented Evans passed physical and physiological checks and a background check Chard noted He also underwent the standard discipline of training before being deployed on duty she explained