Federal immigration officials have arrested a suburban Chicago police officer who was found to be living in the United States illegally and serving in law enforcement while unlawfully in possession of a firearm.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Radule Bojovic, a national of Montenegro, was taken into custody during targeted enforcement operations in Rolling Meadows on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Bojovic was reportedly serving as a police officer with the Hanover Park Police Department, despite overstaying his B-2 visitor visa by more than a decade.
ICE said Bojovic entered the U.S. legally but was required to depart by March 31, 2015. Instead, he remained in the country and later secured employment as a sworn officer — a violation of federal law that prohibits illegal aliens from owning or possessing firearms.
“Illegal aliens are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms — full stop,” said Sam Olson, Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Chicago.
“This is the second known instance in recent months of a local police department hiring an illegal alien and unlawfully issuing him a firearm while on duty in violation of federal law. It is alarming how local jurisdictions continue to disregard federal law to the detriment of their communities.”
Upon arrest, Bojovic presented his police identification card, confirming his employment with the Hanover Park Police Department, and told agents that he did not have a firearm on him at the time because he was only authorized to carry one while on duty.
ICE officials say the arrest highlights ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and Illinois state and local policies, which under Governor JB Pritzker’s administration have maintained so-called “sanctuary” measures limiting cooperation with federal authorities.
Bojovic is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. The Hanover Park Police Department and Governor Pritzker’s office have not issued public statements as of this report.
