Do police officers in Maine have to be U.S. citizens?

Maine allows noncitizens to serve as police officers, though local jurisdictions can impose their own U.S. citizenship requirements.

Under state law, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy sets eligibility requirements for law enforcement officers statewide, and its entrance standards do not include U.S. citizenship or immigration status.

Maine State Police require noncitizen applicants to have a green card, which grants permanent residency and the right to work. Portland requires applicants to “demonstrate a permanent right to work in the United States.” Lewiston only hires citizens.

According to the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, Maine is one of 12 states that don’t specifically require law enforcement officers to be citizens, while a few others — including Massachusetts — have unsettled, unclear or conflicting guidelines.

In July, Jon-Luke Evans, a Jamaican national working as a reserve officer for Old Orchard Beach, was arrested by immigration officers, who accused him of overstaying his visa.