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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended Radule Bojovic, an officer with the Hanover Park Police Department, on October 15, 2025, during a focused enforcement operation in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
Bojovic, a Montenegrin national, arrived in the United States in August 2014 on a B-2 tourist visa, which mandated his departure by March 31, 2015. He overstayed his visa, resulting in over a decade of unlawful presence, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security.
The arrest was part of Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE initiative initiated on September 8, 2025, aimed at immigration enforcement in Illinois. During this operation, agents identified Bojovic as a visa overstay.
Upon his arrest, Bojovic presented an employee ID confirming his role with the Hanover Park Police Department. He mentioned that he was unarmed at the time, as he was only authorized to carry a firearm while on duty.
Bojovic began his employment with the Hanover Park Police Department in January 2025. According to records from the Hanover Park Pension Fund Board of Trustees, he was approved for the position that month with a starting salary of $78,955.70. Village records reveal that his total costs to taxpayers for 2025, including benefits such as FICA and Medicare taxes amounting to $9,276, reached $205,707.
The village of Hanover Park, home to approximately 37,000 residents, conducted a background check prior to Bojovic’s hiring. At that time, he provided valid work authorization documentation from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The village indicated it had not received any subsequent notification from federal authorities that his work authorization had been revoked. Following his arrest, Bojovic was placed on administrative leave. Officials did not clarify whether he would return to full duty if allowed to stay in the country legally.
In August 2025, the Hanover Park Police Department announced Bojovic’s graduation from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy on Facebook, noting he had commenced an intensive 15-week field training and evaluation period to serve the community.
Following the arrest, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin remarked: “Governor J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just permit violent illegal aliens to threaten Illinois’s communities; he allows illegal aliens to serve as sworn police officers. Radule Bojovic violated our nation’s laws and lived ILLEGALLY in the United States for 10 years—what kind of police department issues badges and firearms to criminal illegal aliens? It’s a felony for aliens to possess firearms. This so-called law enforcement officer is actively breaking the law.”
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director Sam Olson added: “Illegal aliens are strictly prohibited from owning or possessing firearms — no exceptions. This is the second known case 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. It is concerning how local jurisdictions continue to overlook federal law, jeopardizing their communities.”
Bojovic is set to appear before an immigration judge. The Hanover Park Police Department and the village of Hanover Park did not offer further comments beyond their statement on hiring protocols. CNN and other news outlets have attempted to reach Bojovic for comment, but have not received a response as of October 17, 2025.
This incident follows a similar case in September 2025, when ICE detained Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district in Des Moines, for unlawful presence in the United States since the early 2000s, facing separate firearm possession charges. Another recent case involved a police officer in Maine apprehended for immigration violations.
Illinois is designated as a sanctuary state under Governor J.B. Pritzker. Operation Midway Blitz was named in honor of Katie Abraham, an Illinois resident tragically killed in a hit-and-run incident involving an undocumented driver in August 2025.
