A Maine police officer who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has agreed to voluntarily leave the country, per NBC News.
Jon Luke Evans, a reserve officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department and a Jamaican national, was taken into custody by ICE on July 25. The agency alleged that Evans overstayed his visa and unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm.
ICE confirmed that a judge granted Evans voluntary departure, which allows him to leave the country at his own expense rather than face deportation.
Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Elise Chard previously said federal officials had informed the department that he was legally authorized to work in the U.S.
“The department received verification that he was eligible for employment through the E-Verify program before he was hired,” Chard said.
However, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin criticized the town’s “reckless reliance” on E-Verify, an online tool used to confirm work eligibility for employees.
Chard said in a statement that the town would continue to use the online system amid its commitment to meeting all state and federal laws regarding employment.
“The town reiterates its ongoing commitment to meeting all state and federal laws regarding employment. We will continue to rely on the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form and the E-Verify database to confirm employment eligibility,” she said Monday (August 18).
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