- ICE arrested Hanover Park officer Radule Bojovic, alleging he overstayed a tourist visa since 2015 amid Operation Midway Blitz targeting undocumented criminals.
- Hanover Park defends hiring, saying federal work authorization and background checks validated Bojovic’s employment; his case intensifies sanctuary state vs. federal enforcement tensions.
In a stunning development highlighting tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local hiring practices, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a sworn police officer from the Hanover Park Police Department, claiming he has been living in the country illegally since his tourist visa expired a decade ago.
The officer, identified as Radule Bojovic, a native of Montenegro, was taken into custody as part of Operation Midway Blitz—a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiative launched in September to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records in the Chicago area.
According to ICE officials, Bojovic entered the United States on a tourist visa that lapsed in March 2015, remaining in the country without legal status ever since.
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DHS records indicate that Bojovic was approved by the Pension Fund Board of Trustees in January 2025, with a starting salary of $78,955.
His total earnings for the year reportedly amounted to $205,707, including $9,276 in FICA/Medicare taxes—figures that DHS says were funded by taxpayers.
The arrest has sparked sharp criticism from federal officials toward Illinois’ sanctuary state policies, which restrict local cooperation with immigration authorities.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin didn’t mince words in her statement: “It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm. A law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law,” she said.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is restoring law and order. Criminal illegal aliens have no place in our communities, especially on our police forces.” Que more staredowns with menacing citizens in chicken suits.
Hanover Park PD Insists Hiring Was Above Board
In response, the Hanover Park Police Department released a statement late Thursday defending their hiring process, emphasizing that Bojovic was brought on “in full compliance with federal and state law.”
The department detailed that prior to his employment, they verified his eligibility through federal channels.
“At the time of his hire, Officer Bojovic presented the Village with a Work Authorization Card, which was issued by the federal government’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The card was valid and recently renewed. We also conducted a full background check, including his criminal history with both the Illinois State Police and the FBI,” the statement reads.
They further asserted, “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. Clearly, without that authorization, the Village would not have hired him. Additionally, the Village has not received any notice from any federal or state agency that his work authorization status has ever been revoked.”
The police department also confirmed that Bojovic’s immigration status, as understood at the time, permitted him to carry a firearm on duty.
He has since been placed on administrative leave while immigration proceedings unfold. Should he retain his legal status and work authorization, the department says he will return to active duty.
Broader Backdrop: Illinois’ Sanctuary Stance Under Fire
This incident unfolds against a backdrop of escalating conflicts over immigration in Illinois, a designated sanctuary state that has long limited local law enforcement’s collaboration with federal immigration agencies.
President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly targeted such policies as part of its broader agenda.
Just last week, a federal judge in Illinois halted the deployment of National Guard troops to the Chicago area intended to support ICE operations. The case’s next hearing is set for October 22.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been vocal in his opposition to the federal actions.
In a recent interview, he accused the Trump administration of overreach: “So this is a dangerous time,” Pritzker told FOX 32. “The President of the United States is causing mayhem in the grounds of our state. He is going after his political opponents. I don’t know why anybody would look at the situation and not recognize he’s moving toward an authoritarian regime in his own image.”
Pritzker also mentioned that state officials are considering potential prosecutions against DHS personnel if they are found to have violated legal boundaries.
He warned, “The tables will turn one day,” in reference to the ongoing ICE and CBP raids in Chicago.
As federal crackdowns intensify, cases like Bojovic’s underscore the complex interplay between local governance and national immigration enforcement, leaving communities like Hanover Park caught in the crossfire.
Also Read: Economists Now Warn Trump’s Immigration Policies Will Slow US Economy
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