U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested a newly hired Hanover Park police officer, alleging he overstayed his visa and was living in the country illegally for 10 years. Radule Bojovic, originally from Montenegro, entered the U.S. on a tourist visa that expired in 2015, and remained without legal status for 10 years.
This is one of many arrests made under Operation Midway Blitz, a federal immigration enforcement initiative targeting undocumented immigrants in Illinois.
According to reports Hanover Park’s police records show that Bojovic graduated from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy in August. Bojovic was set to be sworn in Thursday night at the village board meeting.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement Thursday afternoon saying, “Governor J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just allow violent illegal aliens to terrorize Illinois’s communities, he will enable illegal aliens to work as sworn police officers. Radule Bojovic violated our nation’s laws and was living illegally in the United States for 10 years.”
The Hanover Park Police Department also released a statement stating that Bojovic presented a valid Work Authorization Card, which was issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The Village of Hanover Park released a statement on Thursday afternoon addressing the recent arrest saying, “The bottom line is that all information we received from the federal government indicated that Officer Bojovic is legally authorized to work in the United States as a police officer. Clearly, without that authorization, the Village would not have hired him. Additionally, the Village has not received any notice from any federal or state agency that its work authorization status has ever been revoked.”
Officer Bojovic has been placed on administrative leave pending his legal status. The Village of Hanover Park said, if Bojovic “is permitted to remain in the United States and remains legally authorized to work in this country, he will be returned to full duty status.”
