(The Center Square) – A state senator is weighing in on the arrest of a Hanover Park officer, saying House Bill 3751, which allows non-citizens to serve as police officers, is complicating the issue.
Federal officials say Radule Bojovic, an immigrant from Montenegro, overstayed a 2015 visa and was later hired as a Hanover Park police officer.
“Gov. 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. 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?” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a news release.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, explained the case highlights flaws in House Bill 3751, which allows non-citizens with work authorization to serve as officers.
“What civilized nation allows the citizens of another nation to arrest their own people on their soil?” Rose told The Center Square.
The Hanover Park village said in a written statement that it hired Bojovic “in full compliance with federal and state law.”
“Before hiring Officer Bojovic, the village confirmed that he was legally authorized by the federal government to work in the United States,” said the village. “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.”
Rose questioned the city’s understanding of federal rules.
“Handing off the power to arrest … any American on U.S. soil to someone who is not an American citizen is just … completely insane,” said Rose.
The village said it also conducted a full background check with the Illinois State Police and the FBI, and confirmed through a January 2024 memorandum from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives that Bojovic’s immigration status allowed him to carry a firearm while on duty.
The Illinois State Police said prospective police officers in Illinois submit to an ISP criminal background check. This background check covers criminal history only, not immigration status, which is the industry standard.
Rose calls the situation absurd.
“It’s absolutely irrational to believe that, in the name of diversity, you have to hand off the ability to arrest someone to a non-citizen. It’s just nuts,” said Rose. “Now, there’s other practical aspects because if you’re an illegal citizen, you’re not allowed to have a gun in Illinois. And so there’s also all kinds of additional things with this, essentially, how do you even get a [Firearm Owners Identification] card to get a gun in the first place to be a police officer?”
Bojovic is on administrative leave pending immigration proceedings and could return if he keeps valid work authorization.
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Hanover Park Police Department records confirm, 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. Additional records indicate his 2025 earnings cost taxpayers $205,707 including $9,276 for FICA/Medicare taxes.
“I highly doubt that Russia would give a citizen of the United States the power to arrest a Russian citizen on Russian soil,” said Rose.
