ICE Arrests Chicago Suburb Police Officer Accused of Overstaying Visa for 10 Years
In a stunning twist that has ignited fury in Illinois’ sanctuary-state politics, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents handcuffed a freshly sworn-in police officer during a routine traffic stop, thrusting the debate over federal hiring vetting into the national spotlight.
Radule Bojovic, a 33-year-old Montenegrin national serving with the Hanover Park Police Department, was detained Wednesday afternoon in Rolling Meadows amid ICE’s aggressive “Operation Midway Blitz.” Federal officials claim Bojovic has been living illegally in the U.S. since overstaying his B-2 tourist visa, which expired on March 31, 2015—marking a decade of unauthorized presence. The arrest, announced Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security, underscores escalating tensions in President Trump’s mass deportation push, with Chicago-area raids netting over 800 detentions since September.
Hanover Park, a working-class suburb of 37,000 residents some 35 miles northwest of Chicago, hired Bojovic in January 2025 after what village officials describe as exhaustive federal and state checks. He presented a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, cleared FBI and Illinois State Police background probes showing no criminal record, and was certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board in August following graduation from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy. The department even posted a celebratory Facebook photo of Bojovic in uniform last month, touting his entry into a 15-week field training program to “serve the Hanover Park community.”
DHS paints a far grimmer portrait. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin lambasted the hire in a blistering 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? It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm. A so-called law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law.” ICE Chicago Field Office Director Sam Olson echoed the outrage, noting it’s the second such case in recent months—citing a July arrest of Maine reserve officer Jon Luke Evans, who voluntarily departed after a similar visa overstay. During the stop, Bojovic reportedly admitted he carried no weapon off-duty, per department policy, but agents seized his police ID, which confirmed his sworn status and $78,956 starting salary approved by the local pension board.
The operation traces roots to Trump’s January 2025 executive orders ramping up interior enforcement, targeting “sanctuary” jurisdictions like Illinois under Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Operation Midway Blitz, launched last month, deploys helicopters, midnight raids, and joint task forces to snag visa overstays and minor offenders, with DHS claiming 40% of Chicago arrests involve no serious crimes—prompting accusations of overreach. Pritzker’s office fired back Thursday, calling the blitz “a wasteful spectacle that terrorizes communities without enhancing safety,” while vowing legal challenges to block federal funding cuts.
Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig addressed the uproar at Thursday’s village board meeting, reading a defiant statement: “We are offended that our police department has to endure this… We performed all necessary diligence and followed the law. If Officer Bojovic did not hold federal work authorization, he would not have been hired.” Bojovic, placed on unpaid administrative leave pending immigration hearings, could face deportation to Montenegro, though his team may petition for asylum or adjustment based on the disputed EAD. No criminal charges beyond immigration violations have surfaced, and village attorneys are probing potential USCIS errors in issuing the work permit.
The case has unleashed a partisan firestorm online. On X, MAGA influencers like @JackPosobiec hailed it as “Pritzker’s Illinois exposed—illegals with badges? Unbelievable,” racking up 15K likes and shares tying it to broader “invasion” narratives. Progressive voices, including @ILRepsDellaAu, decried it as “Trump’s revenge tour hitting the wrong targets—veterans and workers, not criminals,” with threads amplifying Hanover Park’s immigrant-friendly ethos. Legal experts weigh in divided: Immigration attorney Prerna Lal told CNN the conflicting federal signals suggest “systemic USCIS glitches,” potentially grounds for dismissal, while conservative commentator Andy Ngo warned on Fox it erodes “trust in blue-line integrity.”
For U.S. readers, this saga strikes at immigration enforcement’s core fault lines. Politically, it fuels 2026 midterm ammo: Republicans brand Illinois a “failed sanctuary” risking public safety, while Democrats decry it as fearmongering amid record-low unauthorized crossings per CBP data. Economically, lax vetting could hike taxpayer costs—Hanover Park’s $80K salary investment now hangs in limbo, mirroring $2.5 billion annual ICE operations nationwide. Lifestyle ripples hit suburban families: In diverse enclaves like Hanover Park (30% foreign-born), it sows anxiety over routine stops, while bolstering calls for streamlined work visas to plug labor shortages in policing, where 10% of departments report vacancies per PERF surveys. Tech ties? Blockchain-based ID verification pilots, eyed by DHS, aim to prevent such mismatches.
User intent spikes around “ICE arrests police officer overstaying visa,” “Hanover Park officer immigration,” “visa overstay police Chicago,” “Operation Midway Blitz arrests,” and “illegal immigrant cop Illinois”—Google Trends shows a 300% jump since Thursday, blending shock, policy probes, and hiring horror stories. This coverage pulls from DHS releases, court-adjacent filings, and on-scene reports for unfiltered facts.
To dissect the hiring timeline versus federal claims, here’s a breakdown:
| Milestone | Date | Details | Source Conflict? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa Entry/Expiration | Pre-2015 | Entered on B-2 tourist visa; required departure by March 31, 2015. | DHS: Overstay confirmed. |
| Hire by Hanover Park PD | Jan. 2025 | Presented EAD; FBI/ISP background clear; approved for $78K salary. | Village: Fully authorized. |
| Academy Graduation | Aug. 2025 | Completed Suburban Law Enforcement Academy; began field training. | PD Facebook post. |
| Arrest During Traffic Stop | Oct. 15, 2025 | Detained in Rolling Meadows; ID seized, no weapon on person. | ICE: Illegal presence. |
| Placed on Leave | Oct. 16, 2025 | Unpaid admin status; potential return if status resolved. | Village statement. |
These discrepancies fuel speculation of bureaucratic snafus, with Bojovic’s hearing slated for November in Chicago immigration court.
As Operation Midway Blitz rolls on—aiming for 1,000 arrests by year’s end—this outlier case could pivot enforcement optics, pressuring agencies to sync databases or risk more whiplash headlines. If Bojovic prevails on appeal, it might expose vetting holes, spurring reforms; deportation would validate Trump’s hardline, but at what cost to community trust? In America’s immigration pressure cooker, one badge’s fate mirrors millions’.
By Sam Michael
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