Old Orchard Beach police say DHS ‘shifting blame' to them in ICE arrest of summer officer from Jamaica
Chard said DHS reported Evans' status on May 12 as 'Alien Authorized to Work' and validated his Customs and Immigration Form I-766, showing he could hold legal employment through March 19, 2030.
But federal officials said Evans overstayed his visa by nearly two years, and
Advertisement
In a lengthy statement Wednesday detailing the town's hiring process for Evans, Old Orchard Beach officials said Evans would not have been permitted to begin work without DHS verifying his status.
'Simply stated, had the federal government flagged his information the Town would not have hired Mr. Evans,' Chard said in the statement. 'Any insinuation that the Town and Department were derelict in our efforts to verify Mr. Evans' eligibility to work for the Town is false.'
Advertisement
Earlier Wednesday, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, said in a statement that the police department's 'reckless reliance on E-Verify to justify arming an illegal alien, Jon Luke Evans violates federal law, and does not absolve them of their failure to conduct basic background checks to verify legal status.'
Old Orchard Beach officials, however, said the federal government has 'aggressively pushed all employers – government and private – to rely on E-Verify in the hiring process."
Town manager Diana Asanza said the Department of Homeland Security 'has thrown its own electronic verification system into question' by accusing the town of hiring an unauthorized worker.
'If we should not trust the word of the federal computer system that verifies documents and employment eligibility, what good is that system?' Asanza said in the statement.
Town officials said they compiled a 153-page personnel file on Evans that included his background check documents, driving records, copies of identification cards, education records, references, and medical records.
Community Service Officers from the Old Orchard Beach Police Dept. patrol on bicycles on Tuesday in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press
'The Old Orchard Beach Police Department thoroughly checked Mr. Evans' background and verified that all information and documentation he provided was accurate,' Chard said. 'The depth of his personnel file shows the diligence the Town takes in hiring.'
In addition to his I-9 federal immigration and work authorization form and a resume, Chard said Evans also provided his Jamaican birth certificate, Massachusetts drivers' license, Jamaican passport, U.S. Social Security card, U.S Work Authorization card, and proof of college credit.
Town officials said they also checked Maine's criminal history database and the Interstate Identification Index, a database of state and federal criminal histories that is maintained by the FBI and National Crime Information Center, as part of their background check on Evans, according to the town's statement.
Advertisement
Evans also passed a physical fitness test, a drug test, a health exam, and completed the Maine Criminal Justice Academy ALERT test, 'which ensures candidates have the comprehension and writing skills needed to succeed in law enforcement,' Old Orchard Beach officials said.
Maine is one of about a dozen states that allows non-citizen residents to work in law enforcement, according to the police department.
Evans legally arrived in the US via Miami International Airport on Sept. 24, 2023, but failed to board his return flight to Jamaica a week later on Oct. 1, 2023, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement Monday.
His attempt to buy a gun triggered an alert to agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who worked in coordination with ICE to make the arrest, the statement said.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, Chard said Evans was a trusted member of the force who had the respect of his peers. She said his arrest has been dispiriting for their department, which relies on seasonal help during the busy summer months.
She said Evans has a wife who continues to live locally.
'I'm hoping that this can be resolved and there will be a finding of no wrongdoing on anybody's part and he can go on with his life the way he intended,' Chard said.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Nick Stoico can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
8 dead, including ministers, in Ghana military helicopter crash
Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Eight people, including Ghana ministers and members of Parliament, were killed Wednesday when the helicopter they were aboard crashed in the West African nation's southern Ashanti region. There were no survivors. The Ghana Armed Forces said its Z-9 helicopter with three crew and five passengers on board departed Accra at 9:12 a.m. local time and crashed in the Sikamana area en route to Obuasi, a gold mining town. "Our hearts are heavy! You served our nation and the colors gallantly," the Ghana Armed Forces said in a statement. "Rest in Peace!" The deceased passengers have been identified as Minister of Defence Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister for Food and Agriculture Muniru Mohammed, National Democratic Congress Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye. The deceased crew were identified as Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu and Sgt. Ernest Addo Mensah. Their identities were made public during a brief press conference from the Office of the President. All flags have been ordered to fly at half-staff until further notice, and three days of mourning have been ordered starting Thursday, according to the Office of the President of Ghana. President John Dramani Mahama has also suspended all his scheduled activities for the rest of the week. The European Union Delegation to the West African nation issued its condolences in a statement online. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement that Nigeria stands "in full solidarity" with Ghana during this time of mourning. "This is a deeply painful moment for our Ghanaian brothers and sisters. These men died in the line of duty serving their nation with honor and courage," he said on X. "May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace, and may their families and the nation find strength and comfort in their sacrifice."
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
TV Superman Dean Cain is recruiting immigration agents and, thanks to DHS, so is ‘South Park'
Dean Cain played a superhero on TV 30 years ago. Now he wants to help the government in its illegal sweeps of Home Depot parking lots, schools and bus benches for people who appear to be immigrants. Cain played Superman in the 1990s TV series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.' On Tuesday, he encouraged his Instagram followers to apply for a job within the ranks of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE. 'Here's your opportunity to join ICE,' he told followers in a video.'You can earn lots of great benefits and pay. Since President Trump took office, ICE has arrested hundreds of thousands of criminals including terrorists, rapists, murderers, pedophiles, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, you name it — very dangerous people who are no longer on the streets.' Clearly, Cain is still fighting fantasy villains because nonpublic data from ICE indicate that the government is primarily detaining individuals with no criminal convictions of any kind. Of the 200,000 people detained by ICE since October 2024, 65% have never committed a crime, and 93% haven't committed a violent crime. But he wasn't the only player from series TV to end up in a recruitment post for the Department of Homeland Security. On its X account, the DHS pulled an image from a 'South Park' teaser for the show's forthcoming episode 'Got a Nut.' It showed masked men riding in black cars marked 'ICE.' The DHS added its own caption: ' The show's last episode, 'Sermon on the Mount,' mercilessly lampooned the president's manhood and penchant for vengeance-driven lawsuits. Trump responded by calling the animated comedy 'irrelevant,' though its searing indictment of the president represented the show's highest-rated season opener since 1999. Paramount Global reported that viewership was up 68% from the previous 'South Park' season premiere and was the top show across cable on July 23. The episode reached nearly 6 million viewers across Paramount+ and Comedy Central platforms in the three days after it aired. A 20-second teaser of Wednesday's 'Got a Nut' episode shows Trump at a dinner event with Satan. As Trump's courage is heralded by an off-screen speaker, the president rubs Satan's leg under the table. Satan tells him to stop. Even the devil is disgusted. It also appears 'South Park' will be focused on ICE recruitment or, rather, the absurdity of the administration's public call to arms. 'When Mr. Mackey loses his job, he desperately tries to find a new way to make a living,' reads the caption about 'Got a Nut' on 'South Park's' X account. It's accompanied by a screenshot of the oft-misguided former school counselor Mackey looking out of sorts in a face mask and ICE vest. He stands near a characterization of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who vamps in ICE gear and points a pistol in the air. On Tuesday, 'South Park' responded via X to the DHS usage of an image from the forthcoming episode. 'Wait, so we ARE relevant?' followed by a hashtag we can't reprint here. Satire around MAGA's inhumane immigration policy has ramped up after the Trump administration launched an ICE hiring campaign, promising a $50,000 signing bonus and retirement benefits. 'Your country is calling you to serve at ICE,' said Noem in a news release last week. 'Your country needs dedicated men and women of ICE to get the worst of the worst criminals out of our country. This is a defining moment in our nation's history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland.' Cain's signature show has been off the air as many years as 'South Park' has been on, but Tuesday he decided it was time to slip on the virtual unitard one more time, imagining himself a superhero as he took to social media and said: 'For those who don't know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker, and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it. So I joined up,' said the 59-year-old. A follower replied: 'Unfortunately, you can't join ICE if you're over 37 years of age — even if you're a fully licensed state law enforcement officer.' Cain replied: 'Perhaps we'll get the changed…' Mere hours passed, then viola! Noem announced during an appearance on Fox News that ICE's hiring age cap had been eliminated. And faster than a speeding rubber bullet fired at an ICE protester, Superman extended the dream of state-sanctioned kidnapping to the young and old.
The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Los Angeles officials, Penske trucks decry federal agents' use of vehicle in immigration raid
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — An immigration raid at a California Home Depot has raised the temperature on simmering tensions in Los Angeles. Video posted to social media shows what appears to be a squad of federal agents loading into a Penske truck, with the video's caption saying the scene was recorded at 6:40 a.m. The Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass decried the raids and stipulated that such federal actions are prohibited by a recent court ruling. 'For months federal agents have been masking themselves and now they're using rental trucks to conduct their seemingly discriminatory raids – these tactics are dangerous,' the Mayor's Office said in a statement. 'The Federal court of appeals made clear that it is unconstitutional in this country to racially profile people and snatch them from worksites. The City is gathering information about these reported raids and considering all legal options. Tactics like this are un-American and we will never accept these terrorizing ploys as a new normal.' The United Farm Workers said the labor union is also worried about a possible violation of the court's order. 'While more investigation is needed, we have serious concerns that the federal govt may be in violation of the federal judge's July TRO,' the union wrote on social media. Additionally, Penske criticized federal agents for using their trucks in a prohibited manner. 'Penske strictly prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances,' the company said in a statement posted to social media. 'The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today's operation and did not authorize this. Penske will reach out to [the Department of Homeland Security] and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future.' Federal officials, however, criticized the company for what they perceived to be hypocrisy. The Department of Homeland Security shared a screenshot of a Fox News story that mentioned a human smuggling ring had utilized Penske trucks. 'Care to remind the American people what Penske said when this happened? Silence speaks volumes,' DHS wrote. 'The brave agents of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and [Customs and Border Protection] will continue carrying out their mission to protect Americans.' Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also chimed in, intimating that despite the court's ruling, immigration raids could increase in coming days. 'For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again,' he said on social media. 'The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.' DHS officials said the raid resulted in the arrest of 16 people from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua who were living in the country illegally.
