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ICE arrested Old Orchard Beach Police Department reserve Officer
Jon Luke Evans, of Jamaica, on July 25, as part of the agency's
effort to step up immigration enforcement. Officials with the
town and police department have said federal authorities
previously told them Evans was legally authorized to work in the
U.S.
An ICE representative reached by telephone told The Associated
Press on Monday that a judge has granted voluntary departure for
Evans and that he could leave as soon as that day. The
representative did not provide other details about Evans' case.
Evans' arrest touched off a dispute between Old Orchard Beach
officials and ICE. Police Chief Elise Chard has said the
department was notified by federal officials that Evans was
legally permitted to work in the country, and that the town
submitted information via the Department of Homeland Security’s
E-Verify program prior to Evans’ employment. Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin then accused the town of
“reckless reliance” on the department's E-Verify program.
E-Verify is an online system that allows employers to check if
potential employees can work legally in the U.S.
The town is aware of reports that Evans plans to leave the
country voluntarily, Chard said Monday.
“The town reiterates its ongoing commitment to meeting all state
and federal laws regarding employment,” Chard said in a
statement. “We will continue to rely on the I-9 Employment
Eligibility Verification form and the E-Verify database to
confirm employment eligibility.”
ICE's detainee lookup website said Monday that Evans was being
held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls,
Rhode Island. However, a representative for Wyatt said Evans had
been transferred to an ICE facility in Burlington,
Massachusetts. ICE officials did not respond to requests for
comment on the discrepancy. It was unclear if Evans was
represented by an attorney, and a message left for him at the
detention facility was not returned.
ICE officials said in July that Evans overstayed his visa and
unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm. WMTW-TV reported
Monday that Evans' agreement to a voluntary departure means he
will be allowed to leave the U.S. at his own expense to avoid
being deported.
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