Old Orchard Beach, Maine – The police chief of Old Orchard Beach is calling for a federal investigation after one of her department’s officers, a Jamaican national, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite reportedly having federal approval to work in the United States.
Reserve Officer Jon Luke Evans, who joined the seasonal police force in the coastal resort town, was taken into custody by ICE on July 25. The agency claims that Evans overstayed his visa and illegally attempted to purchase a firearm, which triggered his arrest.
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But Police Chief Elise Chard issued a statement on Monday pushing back against those claims. She said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had confirmed in May 2025 that Evans was authorized to work legally in the U.S., with documentation valid until 2030.
“The Old Orchard Beach Police Department is distressed and deeply concerned about this apparent error on the part of the federal government,” Chard stated. “We are launching an internal review to ensure our continued compliance and to better understand the breakdown in communication.”
ICE, however, maintains that Evans entered the country legally in September 2023 but violated the terms of his stay by failing to depart on a scheduled flight in October 2023. The agency alleges that Evans’ attempt to buy a firearm for his police duties triggered an alert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which coordinated with ICE to facilitate the arrest.
Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston, sharply criticized the town’s hiring practices.
“We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien,” Hyde said in a statement.
Chard rejected that characterization, stating the department had never been informed by federal officials of any issue with Evans’ immigration status. In fact, she said the department only learned of the arrest through ICE’s public press release.
Old Orchard Beach, a popular vacation destination known for its beach, boardwalk, and amusement park, employs seasonal officers to help manage the surge in summer tourism. Maine is one of about a dozen states that allow non-citizens to serve in law enforcement, provided they meet all legal and procedural requirements.
According to Chard, Evans underwent the standard background checks, passed all physical and medical evaluations, and completed required training prior to assuming his duties in community policing and beach patrol.
It remains unclear whether Evans has retained legal counsel, and neither ICE nor the Old Orchard Beach Police Department have provided further updates on his detention.
The incident raises broader questions about coordination between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, particularly in cases involving non-citizen employees who appear to have received conflicting guidance from federal agencies.
