ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Working As A Police Officer In Blue State

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Radule Bojovic, a police officer with the Hanover Park Police Department, on October 15, 2025, during a targeted enforcement operation in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.

Bojovic, a national of Montenegro, entered the United States in August 2014 on a B-2 tourist visa that required him to depart by March 31, 2015. He remained in the country after the visa expired, resulting in more than 10 years of unlawful presence, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The arrest occurred as part of Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE initiative launched on September 8, 2025, focused on immigration enforcement in Illinois. During the operation, agents identified Bojovic as a visa overstay.

Upon his arrest, Bojovic presented an employee identification card confirming his position with the Hanover Park Police Department. He stated that he carried no weapons at the time because he was authorized to possess a firearm only while on duty.

Bojovic was hired by the Hanover Park Police Department in January 2025. Records from the Hanover Park Pension Fund Board of Trustees show that he was approved for employment that month, with a starting salary of $78,955.70. Village records indicate that his 2025 earnings, including benefits such as FICA and Medicare taxes totaling $9,276, cost taxpayers $205,707.

The village of Hanover Park, which has a population of about 37,000, conducted a background check prior to hiring Bojovic. He provided valid work authorization documentation issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time.

The village stated that it received no subsequent notice from the federal government indicating that his authorization had been revoked. Following the arrest, Bojovic was placed on administrative leave. Authorities did not indicate whether he would be returned to full duty if he is permitted to remain in the country and work legally.

In August 2025, the Hanover Park Police Department announced Bojovic’s graduation from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy via a Facebook post. The post stated that he had begun an intensive 15-week period of field training and evaluation to prepare to serve the Hanover Park community.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on the arrest. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said: “Governor J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just allow violent illegal aliens to terrorize Illinois’s communities, he allows 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—what kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns? It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm. A so-called law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law.”

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director Sam Olson also commented: “Illegal aliens are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms — full stop. 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.”

Bojovic is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge. The Hanover Park Police Department and village of Hanover Park did not provide additional comments beyond the statement on hiring procedures. CNN and other outlets have sought further response from Bojovic, with no reply as of October 17, 2025.

This case follows a similar arrest in September 2025, when ICE detained Ian Roberts, superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district in Des Moines, for unlawful presence in the United States since the early 2000s. Roberts faced separate charges related to firearm possession. A third case involved a police officer in Maine arrested on immigration violations.

Illinois operates as a sanctuary state under Governor J.B. Pritzker. Operation Midway Blitz was named in honor of Katie Abraham, an Illinois resident killed in August 2025 in a hit-and-run incident involving an undocumented driver.