Gregory “Greg” Bovino, a senior US Border Patrol official with nearly three decades of service, has become one of the most visible — and divisive — figures in President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy.
Once a relatively low-profile career officer, Bovino has risen to national prominence as the face of aggressive federal crackdowns in Democratic-led cities, frequently appearing before cameras, defending controversial tactics, and personally overseeing large-scale operations far from the US southern border.
His role has now come under the lens following a series of fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis, including the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
The Trump administration is now reportedly looking to reshuffle leadership in Minnesota and place border czar Tom Homan directly in charge of operations as questions are mounting over whether Bovino has been removed, reassigned, or effectively sidelined.
What happened in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis has emerged as a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s renewed push to expand immigration enforcement into the nation’s interior.
Under an initiative known as Operation Metro Surge, federal immigration officers — including both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents — were deployed in large numbers across Minnesota’s largest city and surrounding areas.
The operation quickly drew attention after three shootings involving federal officers occurred in January alone. Two of those incidents were fatal, while the most recent involved a Border Patrol agent.
The killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday proved especially consequential.
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during an encounter connected to the enforcement operation.
The incident sparked immediate outrage and protests, particularly after Bovino
publicly claimed that Pretti had intended to carry out a mass attack on law enforcement.
That assertion was not corroborated by investigators, and
video footage circulating publicly appeared to show Pretti observing federal activity rather than attempting to assault officers.
Despite the footage, Bovino mounted a vigorous defence of his agents in multiple television appearances. On CNN, he said, “I’m not blaming the Border Patrol agents.” He continued, “The victims are the Border Patrol agents. The suspect put himself in that situation.”
Bovino also warned civilians against engaging with enforcement actions, stating, “What our officers are faced with here in Minneapolis are chaotic, very difficult and violent situations. … Follow directions for law enforcement. Don’t inject yourself knowingly, beforehand, into a law enforcement situation.”
Those remarks resulted in criticism from city leaders, civil rights advocates, and congressional Democrats, many of whom accused federal authorities of escalating confrontations rather than de-escalating them.
What is Bovino’s role?
As Border Patrol’s commander-at-large, Bovino has been tasked with leading major immigration operations across the country.
His role places him at the centre of large-scale, highly visible enforcement efforts that often involve hundreds or thousands of federal officers operating in urban areas.
In recent months, Bovino has overseen or played a leading role in operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Sacramento, Charlotte, and Minneapolis. These deployments have frequently been accompanied by mass demonstrations, legal challenges, and accusations of excessive force.
Bovino has become known for his omnipresence at press briefings, often appearing unmasked while other agents conceal their identities. His visibility has made him a focal point for both supporters and critics of the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
He has described his agents’ tactics as “turn and burn,” a strategy aimed at moving quickly through enforcement zones and leaving within minutes to avoid prolonged standoffs with demonstrators.
His social media accounts regularly highlight arrests of undocumented immigrants, promoting videos that align with the Trump administration’s preference for visually striking enforcement messaging.
During operations in Chicago, concerns over the use of force reached such a level that a judge ordered Bovino to wear a body camera and submit daily reports detailing agents’ actions.
Has Bovino been removed from Minneapolis?
According to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, Bovino is among the federal agents expected to depart Minneapolis on Tuesday, January 27.
The expected departure coincides with a broader leadership reshuffle announced by Trump. The president said he was
placing his border czar, Tom Homan, in charge of the Minnesota mission, with Homan reporting directly to the White House.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Homan would serve as “the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis” during continued federal immigration operations.
Despite these changes, confusion persists over Bovino’s status.
While some reports suggested he had been demoted after federal agents were directed to leave Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security publicly disputed that characterisation.
Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary, wrote on social media, “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties. As @PressSec stated from the White House podium, @CMDROpAtLargeCA is a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”
No formal announcement has confirmed Bovino’s removal or reassignment, leaving open questions about whether his departure from Minneapolis represents a temporary redeployment or a broader shift in his responsibilities.
What do we know about Bovino’s background?
Bovino’s rise to prominence is rooted in a long law enforcement career that began well before his recent notoriety.
A native of North Carolina, he joined the US Border Patrol in 1996 after starting his policing career with the Boone Police Department in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
He has said he was inspired to become a Border Patrol agent after watching the 1982 film “The Border.”
Bovino is the son of Italian immigrants and holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resource conservation from Western Carolina University, along with a master’s degree from Appalachian State University.
In 2020, he was appointed chief patrol agent of the El Centro Sector in Southern California, one of the Border Patrol’s nine geographic divisions. At the time, he was one of approximately 20 regional chiefs nationwide.
Does Bovino have a history of violent tactics?
During the Biden administration, Bovino was relieved of command in August 2023.
According to The Associated Press, the decision followed a series of incidents that included controversial social media posts, an online profile image showing him posing with an M4 assault rifle, and his conduct during sworn congressional testimony on border conditions amid a record surge in migrant crossings.
The episode temporarily derailed his ascent within the agency. However, under Trump’s second administration, Bovino returned to prominence as the Border Patrol expanded its focus beyond the southern border and deeper into the nation’s interior.
Bovino has long demonstrated a comfort with media attention. In 2021, he led journalists swimming across California’s All-American Canal, an aqueduct known for its swift currents and the migrant deaths that occur there each year.
In 2023, he again made headlines by placing reporters inside the trunk of a vehicle, saying he wanted them to understand the risks associated with human smuggling and migration routes.
How has Trump reacted?
Trump
held a phone call with Governor Tim Walz that marked a departure from their previously adversarial exchanges.
Following the call, Trump wrote on social media, “We, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength.” Walz described the conversation as “productive” and emphasised the importance of impartial investigations into the shootings involving federal agents.
The governor also noted that Minnesota’s Department of Corrections honours federal requests concerning individuals in state custody, addressing one of the administration’s recurring criticisms of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he also spoke directly with Trump, urging him to end the immigration enforcement surge.
According to Frey, the president agreed that “the present situation cannot continue.” Frey added that he intended to continue pressing for the removal of others involved in Operation Metro Surge.
Despite the leadership change,
protests continued in Minneapolis.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside a hotel where Bovino was believed to be staying, blowing whistles, banging pots, and playing a trombone while police monitored the scene and kept protesters away from the entrance.
What is the status of the mounting anti-ICE lawsuits in Minnesota?
Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Renee Good fatally shot another individual.
The lawsuit seeks to halt or significantly limit the federal immigration enforcement surge, arguing that conditions on the ground have become untenable.
On Monday, US District Judge Katherine Menendez heard arguments on whether to grant a temporary halt to the operation.
She later ordered federal attorneys to submit an additional brief by 6 pm Wednesday, directing them to address claims that the purpose of Operation Metro Surge is to punish Minnesota and its cities for their sanctuary laws and policies.
Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter warned of broader consequences if enforcement actions were allowed to continue unchecked.
“If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don’t think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future,” he told the court.
Menendez questioned the federal government’s motivations and expressed scepticism about a letter sent by US Attorney General Pam Bondi to Walz.
The letter requested access to voter rolls, state Medicaid records, food assistance data, and the repeal of sanctuary policies — requests that are themselves the subject of ongoing litigation.
“I mean, is there no limit to what the executive can do under the guise of enforcing immigration law?” Menendez asked during the hearing.
US Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers defended the administration’s actions, stating that the goal was to enforce federal law. He argued that “one lawful action should not be used to discredit another lawful action.”
The judge also wrestled with the broader constitutional implications of the case, questioning where the boundary lies between federal authority and state autonomy.
At one point, she said she was reluctant to decide hypothetical issues, such as warrantless entry into residences, that had not yet been formally raised in the lawsuit.
The Minneapolis case is not the only legal challenge arising from the federal crackdown. Late Monday, a federal appeals court declined to lift a temporary hold on a ruling Menendez issued earlier this month in a separate case.
In that ruling, Menendez barred federal officers in Minnesota from detaining or using tear gas against peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including individuals who observe or document enforcement actions.
A three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals said the ruling was unlikely to withstand appeal but declined to intervene immediately.
In yet another case, US District Judge Eric Tostrud is considering a request from the Justice Department to lift an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to Saturday’s shooting.
Attorneys for Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension told the court they lacked confidence in federal authorities’ willingness to preserve evidence, citing what they described as a lack of cooperation and claims that state investigators were blocked from the scene.
Federal attorneys countered that investigators were already following proper preservation procedures and objected to what they characterised as judicial “micromanaging” of an ongoing federal investigation.
With inputs from agencies
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