Illinois police officer who was illegal immigrant arrested by ICE

An Illinois police officer living in the United States illegally has been arrested by immigration authorities, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

Radule Bojovic, an illegal immigrant from Montenegro who was working as a sworn police officer with the Hanover Park Police Department, was taken into custody during Operation Midway Blitz, which targets illegal immigrants living in Illinois because of the state’s sanctuary policies, federal officials said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the police department and the office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump and his immigration policies.

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Radule Bojovic, an illegal immigrant from Montenegro, was working as a sworn police officer with the Hanover Park Police Department before he was arrested, federal authorities said Thursday.   (Hanover Police Department Facebook)

“J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just allow violent illegal aliens to terrorize Illinois’s communities — he allows illegal aliens to work as sworn police officers,” said Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Radule Bojovic violated our nation’s laws and was living illegally in the United States for 10 years. What kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns?”

“It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm — a law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law,” she added. “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.”

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President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have clashed over the White House’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and crime in Chicago. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images; Talia Sprague/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

An Aug. 22 Facebook post by the police department showed Bojovic being congratulated for graduating from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA). He’s since been replaced on administrative leave pending an investigation. 

“He now begins an intensive 15 weeks of field training and evaluation as he continues preparing to serve the Hanover Park community,” the post states. 

In a news release, the Village of Hanover said Bojovic was hired in January and that the city confirmed that he was legally authorized by the federal government to work in the U.S. He presented the city with a “Work Authorization Card,” which was issued by the federal government’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, it said. 

“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,” the village said. “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.”

In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined in January that Bojovic’s immigration status allows him to carry a firearm while on duty. 

“If he is permitted to remain in the United States and remains legally authorized to work in this country, he will be returned to full duty status,” the village said. 

The card was valid and recently renewed, it said, and a full background check, including his criminal history with both the Illinois State Police and the FBI, was conducted. 

Federal law enforcement agents break up protesters outside an immigrant processing center with a barrage of tear gas and pepper balls on Sept. 27, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois.  (Getty Images)

Federal authorities said Bojovic was in the U.S. on a tourist visa that required him to depart by March 31, 2015. Over a decade later, he was still illegally in the U.S.

As an officer, Bojovic was approved by the Pension Fund Board of Trustees in January 2025 and was eligible to receive a starting salary of $78,955.70, according to DHS.

Additional police records indicate his 2025 earnings were $205,707, including $9,276 for FICA/Medicare taxes, federal authorities said.

The Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunk-driving hit-and-run crash caused by criminal illegal alien Julio Cucul-Bol in Illinois.

Pritzker recently sued the Trump administration to block National Guard action in Illinois and has feuded with Trump over his threats to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Chicago.

“President Trump says he wants to go to war with Chicago, use it, and our people as a training ground, and is sending military troops against the wishes of its people in order to punish his political opponents,” Pritzker said Thursday. 

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“No person could be faulted for believing that the U.S. military is already patrolling our streets,” he added. “It feels that way already masked federal agents from ICE and CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) are on the ground, terrorizing our communities with tear gas and rubber bullets, and some are wearing camouflage uniforms that could easily be mistaken for the military.”