A suburban Chicago police officer was arrested Wednesday by federal immigration authorities after it was discovered that he has been living in the United States illegally for more than ten years.
Radule Bojovic, 33, a Montenegrin native who was serving as a sworn officer for the Hanover Park Police Department, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The arrest occurred at Rolling Meadows during a targeted enforcement operation as part of the Midway Blitz.
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According to ICE, Bojovic overstayed his B-2 tourist visa, which obliged him to leave the country by March 31, 2015.
He had been employed as a police officer despite his immigration status and is the second officer detained this year. Immigration authorities arrested Jamaican police officer Jon Luke Evans of Maine in July, and he voluntarily agreed to leave the country.
“Illegal aliens are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms — full stop,” said Sam Olson, director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office. “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.”
Individuals who illegally carry firearms in the country are committing a crime under federal law.
When arrested, Bojovic submitted his employee identification card, which confirmed his employment with the Hanover Park Police Department. He informed agents that he was not carrying a weapon since he was only authorized to carry his handgun on duty.
According to the police department’s Facebook post, Bojovic graduated from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy on August 22. Prior to his capture, he had been undergoing field training.
According to Nexstar’s WGN, the village of Hanover Park stated that the officer was hired through all appropriate processes and that the federal government approved the appointment at the beginning of 2025.
Hanover Park said in a statement that its police department “hired Officer Bojovic in January 2025 in full compliance with federal and state law,” according to WGN.
“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,” Hanover Park continued. “Clearly, without that authorization, the Village has not received any notice from any federal or state agency that his work authorization status has ever been revoked.”
On Thursday, at a Hanover Park board meeting when Bojovic was supposed to be acknowledged for extra training he completed in September, Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig instead issued a statement regarding the arrest, according to WGN.
“We are offended that our police department has to endure this,” Craig said. “Bottom line is we performed all necessary diligence and followed the law throughout the hiring process. If the officer didn’t hold federal work authorization, he would not have been hired.”
The article states that they have placed Bojovic on administrative leave while they await the outcome of his immigration processes. According to ICE detention data, Bojovic is being held in Indiana.
According to the report, an Illinois Public Act allows non-US nationals who are lawfully authorized to work in the United States to apply to become police officers, subject to all criteria including background checks.
