ICE Arrests Suburban Chicago Police Officer for Alleged Visa Overstay

HANOVER PARK, Ill. — A major controversy erupted Thursday as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a suburban Chicago police officer, Radule Bojovic, accusing him of overstaying a visitor visa and thus residing illegally in the United States. FOX 32 Chicago+4ABC News+4ABC7 San Francisco+4

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Bojovic entered on a B-2 tourist visa that expired in March 2015 and remained in the country for more than a decade. ABC News+2ABC7 San Francisco+2 He had been sworn in as an officer in the Hanover Park Police Department just this year and was approved by the police pension board in January 2025. ABC News+3FOX 32 Chicago+3FOX 32 Chicago+3

ICE announced the arrest was part of Operation Midway Blitz, a federal enforcement campaign targeting undocumented immigrants in Illinois, especially in jurisdictions with “sanctuary” or limited cooperation policies. Wikipedia+4ABC News+4Department of Homeland Security+4

Department and Local Responses

• DHS / ICE: Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin sharply criticized Illinois’ immigration policies, saying, "What kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns?" She noted that it's a felony for undocumented immigrants to possess firearms — and questioned the vetting and oversight that allowed Bojovic to become an officer. ABC News+2Department of Homeland Security+2

• Hanover Park Police / Village: In a public statement, the police department defended its hiring procedures, saying it had verified Bojovic’s work authorization status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, conducted full background checks, and confirmed that all provided documentation was valid at the time of employment. FOX 32 Chicago+2ABC7 San Francisco+2 The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of immigration proceedings. FOX 32 Chicago+3ABC7 San Francisco+3FOX 32 Chicago+3

Implications & Broader Context

1. Sanctuary State vs. Enforcement Tensions
   Illinois maintains laws that limit cooperation by state and local authorities with federal immigration enforcement — a policy often labeled “sanctuary” in political debates. Department of Homeland Security+3Wikipedia+3FOX 32 Chicago+3 The Bojovic case intensifies scrutiny over those policies’ operational effects.

2. Vetting & Accountability Questions
   Observers are demanding clarity on how someone with an expired visa could pass the hiring and pension approval processes without detection. The case raises questions about background checks, document verification, and interagency communication.

3. Political Fallout
   — Federal Officials: DHS has criticized Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and local officials, accusing them of enabling “lawlessness.” Department of Homeland Security+2ABC News+2
   — State Officials: Pritzker and his administration have condemned what they call federal overreach, stating that such ICE operations are being conducted without proper notice or respect for state sovereignty. Department of Homeland Security+3FOX 32 Chicago+3ABC News+3

4. Legal & Procedural Outcomes
   The case may spur litigation or investigations into hiring practices, compliance with immigration laws, and the legality of ICE’s enforcement tactics under state–federal jurisdictional conflicts.

When an individual residing illegally in the U.S. is found to have served as a police officer — someone authorized to enforce the law, carry a firearm, and receive a taxpayer-funded pension — it raises a direct question about the coherence of the legal and administrative systems that allowed it.

To give illegals police authority over american citizens is unlawful. From a purely logical and policy standpoint, several points emerge:

1. Contradiction in Authority and Legality —
   A person who is, by federal definition, not legally permitted to remain or work in the country holding a position that requires upholding those very laws represents a fundamental inconsistency. It calls into question how background verification, employment eligibility checks, and inter-agency communication are managed.

2. Employment and Public Trust —
   Law enforcement roles carry public authority. If someone later found to be unauthorized to work held such a position, it may undermine public confidence in the vetting process.

3. Policy Implications —
   The situation puts pressure on “sanctuary” or limited-cooperation policies, because it shows how a breakdown between federal and local systems can lead to paradoxical outcomes: local compliance with state law while violating federal law.

4. Broader Systemic Question —
   The case does necessarily indict one ideology and exposes a governance challenge: how do overlapping jurisdictions (state vs. federal) reconcile enforcement, fairness, and policy intent when they operate on conflicting rules?