Maine Town’s ICE Arrest Controversy

A dispute has erupted between a Maine resort town and the Trump administration following the arrest of a seasonal reserve police officer by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The controversy centers on the accuracy and reliability of E-Verify, the federal government’s system designed to help employers determine if prospective employees are legally authorized to work in the United States.

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The core of the disagreement lies in conflicting claims about the vetting process of Jon-Luke Evans, a Jamaican citizen who served as a reserve officer for the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. Federal immigration officials allege that the police department either knowingly hired an unauthorized immigrant or failed to adequately verify his legal status independently. In contrast, the police department insists it thoroughly vetted Evans, securing his approval to work through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) E-Verify program in May.

ICE arrested Evans on suspicion of unlawfully attempting to purchase a firearm, which triggered an alert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The ATF then collaborated with ICE to make the arrest. ICE contends that Evans overstayed his visa, which required him to leave the country in October 2023. However, the Old Orchard Beach Police Department maintains that E-Verify cleared Evans for work eligibility until March 2030.

Town Manager Diana Asanza, in a joint statement with the police department, strongly defended the town’s hiring practices. She stated that the department adheres to all pre-employment guidelines expected of employers in Maine and the U.S., and criticized statements made by federal agencies that undermine public trust in local law enforcement. Asanza questioned the validity of the E-Verify system itself, asking, “If we should not trust the word of the federal computer system that verifies documents and employment eligibility, what good is that system?”

DHS responded by stating that using E-Verify does not absolve employers of their legal duty to verify documentation authenticity. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that employers should take necessary steps to effectively verify legal employment status. McLaughlin also accused the Old Orchard Beach Police Department of “reckless reliance” on E-Verify and asserted that their actions violated federal law and did not excuse their failure to conduct basic background checks.

Despite the criticism, McLaughlin defended E-Verify as a “proven, no-cost tool” that “delivers high accuracy in verifying work authorization by cross-checking employee documents against government databases to combat rampant document fraud and protecting American workers.”

In response to DHS’s statement, Old Orchard Beach released its own detailed account of the steps taken to verify Evans’ immigration status and work eligibility. The town asserted that it compiled a 153-page personnel file on Evans, including background checks, driving records, copies of identification cards, education and medical records, and personal references. Evans provided required information, including an I-9 federal immigration and work authorization form, his Jamaican birth certificate, Massachusetts driver’s license, U.S. social security card, and work authorization card, among other documents.

Police Chief Elise Chard stated that the department thoroughly checked Evans’ background and verified the accuracy of all provided information. She emphasized the department’s diligence in hiring, as demonstrated by the depth of Evans’ personnel file.

The town further stated that it submitted Evans’ forms to DHS’ E-Verify program, which verified his status in May and authorized him to work legally through March 19, 2030. Chard stated that Evans would not have been permitted to begin work without DHS verifying his status and that the federal government has aggressively pushed all employers to rely on E-Verify in the hiring process. She added that any insinuation that the town and department were derelict in their efforts to verify Evans’ eligibility to work is false.

The police department released 54 pages of Evans’ personnel file, which included records related to his application process, stating that employment was conditional upon a background check, submission of mandatory paperwork, drug screening, and mandatory training sessions. The records also indicated that Evans was required to provide two valid forms of ID for payroll processing and that he passed all training sessions before being approved as a reserve officer.

Representative Lori K. Gramlich, a Democrat representing Old Orchard Beach in the state’s House of Representatives, called for a thorough federal review of E-Verify and DHS’ authorization process. She emphasized the importance of reliable federal systems to support the lawful employment of noncitizen residents in community-serving roles.

Maine is among a minority of states that permit noncitizens to work in law enforcement, with some requiring green card status and others, like Maine, requiring legal authorization to work in the U.S. The town has noted that its police department, like many in coastal communities, relies on a seasonal supplementary workforce during peak summer months.

According to the American Immigration Council, Maine has approximately 34,000 immigrant workers, representing 4.6% of the state’s labor force. The council also estimates that there are around 5,800 unauthorized immigrants of working age in the state.

The conflict between Old Orchard Beach and federal authorities raises critical questions about the reliability of E-Verify and the responsibilities of employers in verifying the legal status of their employees. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for hiring practices and immigration enforcement policies across the country.