U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested a suburban Chicago police officer accused of living in the United States illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Radule Bojovic, a native of Montenegro, was employed as a sworn officer with the Hanover Park Police Department when ICE agents detained him during Operation Midway Blitz, a regional immigration enforcement effort in Illinois.
DHS said Bojovic overstayed his tourist visa by ten years and was required to leave the U.S. in March 2015. The agency emphasized that it is a felony for an undocumented immigrant to carry a firearm — a key concern given Bojovic’s role as an armed police officer.
“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,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “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?”
Village of Hanover Park Defends Hiring
The Village of Hanover Park responded swiftly, saying the police department followed all laws during Bojovic’s hiring process. The village said Bojovic presented a valid work authorization document issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and passed all required background checks.
“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,” the village said in a statement. “Clearly, without that authorization, the Village would not have hired him.”
Officials added they had received no notice from any federal or state agency indicating his work authorization was ever revoked.
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Officer Placed on Leave Amid Investigation
Bojovic has been placed on administrative leave while immigration proceedings continue. The village confirmed he will return to full duty if allowed to remain in the United States.
Online ICE detainee records confirm that Bojovic is currently in custody, though his location has not been disclosed. It remains unclear when or where the arrest occurred.
According to village payroll data, Bojovic earned a starting salary of $79,000 when he joined the department in January. He was also accepted into the Hanover Park Police Pension Fund and graduated from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy in August.
Local Reaction and Political Fallout
Hanover Park Village President Rodney Craig addressed the arrest during Thursday’s board meeting, acknowledging the public concern but defending the department’s vetting process.
“First and foremost, the village and the police department conducted its own thorough due diligence as part of this hiring process, as is the case with the hiring of all police officers,” Craig said.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem weighed in on social media, using the incident to criticize Illinois’ immigration policies.
“Radical sanctuary politicians have allowed criminal illegal aliens to infiltrate our school districts, communities, and even police departments. President Trump and I will continue to put the safety of Americans FIRST,” Noem wrote.
The case has quickly become part of a larger national debate over sanctuary policies, local law enforcement hiring, and federal-state coordination on immigration enforcement.
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