ICE agents arrested a police officer in the Chicago suburb of Hanover Park on Thursday morning, accusing him of being an illegal immigrant from Montenegro.
The Department of Homeland Security says the officer, Radule Bojovic, had overstayed a tourist visa that expired in 2015.
According to the department, Bojovic was “found during a targeted enforcement action” during ICE's immigration-focused operation in Illinois.
The Hanover Park Police Department shared a Facebook post in August announcing Bojovic's recent graduation from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, adding that he had begun “an intensive 15 weeks of field training and evaluation as he continues to prepare to serve the Hanover Park community.”
CNN has contacted Hanover Park Police for comment and attempted to contact Bojovic.
“Radule Bojovic broke the laws of our country and lived ILLEGALLY in the United States for 10 years – what kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and weapons? It is a crime for aliens to even possess a firearm. A law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CNN on Thursday.
Rodney Craig, the mayor of Hanover Park, said Thursday evening that village officials will monitor Bojovic's immigration proceedings. If he is allowed to stay in the U.S. and work, he will return to full duty at the police department, Craig said at a community meeting.
“I encourage all of our residents to gather all available facts before forming their own opinions on whether hiring the officer was appropriate. I can tell you with complete confidence that it was appropriate,” he said. “First and foremost, the Village and Police Department conducted their own thorough due diligence as part of this hiring process. As is the case with the hiring of all police officers.”
Craig said that before Bojovic was hired, the village confirmed that he was legally authorized to work in the United States.
“Background checks conducted by the FBI and Illinois State Police revealed no criminal history,” he added. “If Officer Bojovic did not have a federal work permit, he would not have been hired.”
In September, ICE agents arrested the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district and accused him of being in the country illegally since the early 2000s. The chief inspector was later charged with separate firearms offences.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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