In a significant development, immigration officials have detained an Illinois police officer residing illegally in the United States, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday.

Radule Bojovic, originally from Montenegro, was serving as a sworn officer with the Hanover Park Police Department. His arrest came during Operation Midway Blitz, an initiative targeting illegal immigrants residing in Illinois due to the state’s sanctuary policies, federal authorities confirmed.

The situation has prompted inquiries from Fox News Digital to both the Hanover Park Police Department and the office of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a well-known critic of former President Donald Trump and his immigration strategies.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the state’s stance, remarking, “J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just allow violent illegal aliens to threaten Illinois communities; he also permits illegal aliens to serve as sworn police officers.” She expressed astonishment at Bojovic’s decade-long illegal stay in the U.S., questioning, “What kind of police department grants criminal illegal aliens badges and guns?”

Emphasizing the severity of the situation, McLaughlin stated, “It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm. This law enforcement officer was actively breaking the law.” She further noted that under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is taking steps to restore law and order, emphasizing that “criminal illegal aliens have no place in our communities, especially on our police forces.”

“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.”

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

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.

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)

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. 

“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.”