A Jamaican man who overstayed his US visa and secured a position as a reserve police officer in Maine has now agreed to leave the country voluntarily after his attempt to buy a firearm triggered federal scrutiny.
According to a New York Post report, Jon Luke Evans, who entered the US legally on a weeklong visa in September 2023 but failed to depart by October 1 of that year, was granted voluntary departure by a judge on Monday. Under this order, Evans must cover his own travel costs and exit the US within a specified timeframe.
Evans acknowledged his illegal presence in the country, waived any pursuit of legal status, and demonstrated his intent and financial means to leave as conditions for the voluntary departure. He had been detained since July 25 in Biddeford after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives flagged his gun purchase attempt due to immigration concerns.
Visa Overstay Leads to Police Role
Evans first arrived legally at Miami International Airport but did not leave as required, eventually joining the Old Orchard Beach Police Department as a seasonal reserve officer by May. His hiring involved a background check, physical and medical evaluations, plus law enforcement training.
The department submitted his documents to the Department of Homeland Security, which indicated he held a work permit valid until March 2030. This clearance came through the E-Verify system, an online tool for confirming work eligibility by matching employee data against federal records.
Evans claimed the firearm he tried to buy was for his police duties, but as a reserve officer, he was not allowed to take department guns home or carry personal weapons on the job. After his arrest, he was initially held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts before transfer to Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island.
Federal System Error Sparks Dispute
Police Chief Elise Chard expressed distress over what she called an apparent federal mistake in the E-Verify process, noting her department and community depended on it to fulfill hiring obligations. She emphasized that reserve officers cannot provide their own firearms or use non-issued ones during duty hours.
The town of Old Orchard Beach affirmed its dedication to complying with all state and federal employment laws, planning to keep using the I-9 form and E-Verify for verifications. Chard stated that any suggestion of negligence by the department was incorrect and seemed like an effort to deflect responsibility from federal authorities.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin criticized the police department for what she termed reckless dependence on E-Verify without additional checks on document authenticity. She stressed that employers retain a legal responsibility to ensure proper verification beyond just the system's output.
Blame Shifts Between Local and Federal Officials
McLaughlin highlighted that no unauthorized immigrant should receive a firearm or work in law enforcement, describing it as both legal requirement and common sense. However, she also praised E-Verify for its strong accuracy in detecting fraud by comparing documents to government databases and safeguarding US workers.
Old Orchard Beach officials pointed out that the federal government promotes E-Verify use across the nation for employers. Chard argued that if federal systems had properly identified Evans' status, the town would never have employed him.
McLaughlin insisted that relying solely on E-Verify does not excuse employers from thorough status confirmation. The department countered that it followed all protocols and viewed the incident as a federal oversight rather than local fault.
Evans Faces Imminent Exit from US
Jon Luke Evans, a Jamaican citizen who became an illegal immigrant after overstaying his visa, agreed to voluntary departure following his detention in Biddeford, Maine, on July 25 when attempting to purchase a gun linked to his police role. This step avoids formal deportation but requires him to admit unlawful status, abandon legal status claims, and fund his own exit, addressing concerns over his unauthorized employment in law enforcement.
Authorities granted the order on Monday, with Evans held at facilities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island before the decision, stemming from his visa expiration in October 2023 and subsequent hiring by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. The case arose because federal agents flagged his immigration issues during the firearm background check, prompting scrutiny of how he passed initial work eligibility verifications.
Evans must now depart within the judge-specified period, while the incident highlights tensions between local reliance on federal systems like E-Verify and criticisms of inadequate oversight, potentially leading to reviews of hiring practices in Maine and beyond. Similar situations could prompt enhanced federal guidance or local protocols to prevent future errors in verifying immigrant worker status.
