ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Working as Police Officer in Illinois — A Shocking Example of Sanctuary State Failure

In a stunning revelation that underscores the deep failures of Illinois’s sanctuary state policies, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested an illegal immigrant serving as a police officer — complete with badge, firearm, and taxpayer-funded pension — in Hanover Park, Illinois.

The individual, identified as Radule Bojovic, a national of Montenegro, was taken into custody this week under Operation Midway Blitz, a sweeping federal crackdown led by the Trump administration that has already resulted in nearly 1,000 arrests across Illinois.

ICE confirmed that Bojovic entered the United States on a temporary B-2 tourist visa and was required to leave the country by March 2015. Instead, he chose to overstay and live in America unlawfully for nearly a decade — all while managing to become a sworn police officer in the Chicago suburb of Hanover Park.

Federal officials expressed outrage that a foreign national living in the country illegally could not only evade deportation but also wear the uniform of law enforcement, armed and salaried at the expense of American taxpayers.

“Governor J.B. Pritzker has turned Illinois into a haven for lawlessness,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. “Not only are illegal aliens protected in this state, but one was allowed to wear a badge and carry a gun — a clear violation of federal law.”

Records show that in January 2025, Bojovic was officially approved by the Hanover Park Pension Board of Trustees, securing a starting salary of approximately $79,000 per year. ICE estimates that his total compensation — including benefits, taxes, and pension contributions — has already cost U.S. taxpayers over $205,000 this year alone.

The case has reignited the national debate over sanctuary policies that protect illegal immigrants from federal enforcement, particularly in Democrat-run states like Illinois.

Under President Donald J. Trump’s renewed border and immigration enforcement agenda, ICE has been re-empowered to act decisively against violations of immigration law — especially in cases where local governments refuse to cooperate.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE is restoring law and order,” McLaughlin stated. “Criminal illegal aliens have no place in our communities — and certainly not behind a police badge.”

The discovery of an illegal immigrant operating within law enforcement highlights the dangerous consequences of sanctuary policies that prioritize political ideology over public safety. As Trump’s administration continues its aggressive push to secure the border and purge illegal activity within local institutions, this case stands as a sobering reminder of just how deeply the rot of sanctuary lawlessness has spread.

The arrest of Radule Bojovic, an illegal alien disguised as a defender of the law, exposes the real cost of open-border governance: a betrayal of justice, a mockery of citizenship, and a direct threat to the safety of every American family.