Again on Monday, protesters have clashed with agents at the Whipple Federal Building following the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent. Authorities arrested at least one person.

The head of U.S. Border Patrol, Commander Greg Bovino, defended the operation underway in Minnesota Monday, saying hundreds more federal agents are on the way to help more than 2,000 agents already in Minnesota.

The state is fighting back with a lawsuit.

On Monday afternoon, WCCO's Esme Murphy sat down with Bovino to discuss the ICE crackdown, the widespread backlash and what the future holds in the Twin Cities and beyond. Below is the full transcript of their discussion.

Esme Murphy: Commander Bovino, let me ask you first, as somebody who's been reporting here for a long time, people are scared to death about what's going on on the streets of Minneapolis, and they're scared that they might get hurt, their loved ones might get hurt, maybe their cleaning lady gets deported. What do you say to those people who are genuinely worried?

Commander Greg Bovino: Sure, well, those individuals that are worried if they're United States citizens or legal permanent residents or have some type of legal status to be or remain here in the United States, there's no reason to be scared. However, if they are a criminal alien or an illegal alien, then they should probably be very scared, because we are here conducting a Title 8 immigration mission. So to those that are scared and they're looking for a solution or an answer to this, those illegal aliens, there is one that's called the CBP Home app. And with thousands of law enforcement officers, ICE, Homeland Security investigations, Border Patrol (CBP) on the ground here, I would highly, highly ask them to utilize that CBP Home app so that they can get in line and do it the right way. Many of these legal residents come up to us and say, 'Wow, you know, I spent many years doing it the right way. Why is this individual not doing it the right way?' That's all we're asking, and we're giving them a fantastic opportunity to do that.

Murphy: I have to ask you about the Randall shooting. And I think what's created so much attention is that there are all these multiple videos. You obviously have seen the videos, as have all your people. Do you feel this was a justified shooting by the ice agent?

Bovino: I feel that that ice agent was in a very, a very difficult, untenable situation, and he did what he had to do to ensure that his life was saved. But let's take that a step farther. The lives of others were saved, whether that was members of the public and or other law enforcement officers, we have to remember that those situations are not there. It's 360 degrees. Like I always say, that's a 360-degree situation, crowds forming, known violence, a lot of things happening there that that individual, police officer or ICE agent, has to make in a very difficult environment. So when they make those decisions, you know, they didn't put themselves in that situation knowing that was going to happen. They had no clue that was going to happen. I think for the viewers and members of the public, that agent had no clue that that was going to happen, but he was put into that violent situation and reacted when a 4,000-pound missile came right at him, meaning the minivan.

Murphy: Yes, let me ask you. I interviewed the police chief yesterday, who was very critical of the agent who did the shooting for having a cell phone and videotaping the events as he was working, the actual case. Is that common for ICE agents to videotape as they are working?

Bovino: Well, absolutely, videotaping is very important. As you know, prosecutions, or when you have an individual that is not adhering to commands, definitely, you want that on video, because that video tells a story. You know, it's very interesting. The chief says that he doesn't approve of that. But yet, whenever we don't have a video, some of these same individuals say, 'Well, gosh, there's not a video. That must not have happened.' So let's don't put these agents, these police officers, in a catch-22. I'm glad that they had a video. They're doing the very best they can. Armchair quarterbacking a police officer on the street in a deadly situation like that, that's not something I'm going to do.

Murphy: Why aren't they wearing body cameras? Because if that agent had a body camera, we could really see it from his perspective, what he saw, and a lot of times, body camera video is used to prove that the police acted properly.

Bovino: Sure, body cameras, and I'm not going to speak for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I am a Border Patrol agent, as you can see the Border Patrol patch here, but body cameras are in use, and there's differing rules and regulations for that. Again, I'm not going to second-guess what or why that agent did or didn't have a body camera on, but different missions, perhaps he was undercover. If you're undercover and you've got a body camera sticking right out, you're not undercover anymore. So we need to let the facts of that case come about. But he if he was videotaping, then good on him.

Murphy: You actually tried to stop at a Target, I think, to use the restroom or get a drink. And there was kind of quite a scene. There is that kind of scene being replicated with your agents all over this area in Minneapolis.

Bovino: It is, unfortunately, in Minneapolis. I call this a contrast in operations, a vast, conspicuous contrast in operations. Just got back from Louisiana, I went to Targets, and I went to many places to use the bathroom or perhaps buy a snack or interact with the public. Because I am a, you know, a public official. I do like to interact with the public in Louisiana. Never saw it. In fact, (there was) one act of violence towards a Border Patrol agent in over 30 days of operations there in Louisiana. Contrast that here to Minneapolis, completely different animal. A lot of unfriendly individuals out there, a lot of violence against ICE and Border Patrol. As a matter of fact, we've been here approximately four days, and well over 20 18 U.S.C. § 111 assaults on federal officers over those past four days. So one in 30 days in Louisiana, well over 20, probably approaching 30 by the end of today (here), because we've already had vehicle rammings and that type of thing today on the ground here in Minneapolis. So definitely, it's a lot different here. We did see this in Chicago, Los Angeles, somewhat in Charlotte, North Carolina. So our agents are very adept at dealing with this. Unfortunately, we shouldn't have to deal with this. We don't want to deal with this. We want to conduct our Title 8 mission free from the encumbrances of agitators and rioters.

Murphy: You actually had ramming incidents today? Was anybody injured?

Bovino: Yes, ma'am, those reports are still coming in. As I was coming into your studio, I was briefed on that. I believe that was a multiple ramming situation where an individual not only rammed our vehicles once, but decided to do it multiple times. And more details coming in on that situation now. But if we look at violence and what some of these agitators and rioters are thinking, it's not a smart idea to ram a federal agent once, much less multiple times. Don't do that. Do not put yourself in that situation. I have to say that Mayor Frey and Gov. Walz, that heated rhetoric causes that. And I'd like for that police chief that wanted to talk about our ICE agent and what the ICE agent was doing, to put himself in the shoes of these ICE agents and Border Patrol agents who were being rammed multiple times by a single individual, and it might tell a little better story for the police chief,

Murphy: Sir, what is the scope of your operation here? Because we're trying to get a gauge of it. We're hearing 2,000 people brought to Minneapolis. Now we're hearing more. Can you give us an idea of what the size is?

Bovino: Sure. I won't give an exact number. Those operational details will remain with us, but we already have thousands here ... Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Office of Air, Marine, and because of what's happening on the ground here, this violence, and what you saw, say, a Target, those 20-plus assaults on federal officers, we're not going to put up with that. I'm going to make sure that this operation is conducted legally, ethically and morally, and that that it's done safely. If I need to bring in hundreds of Border Patrol agents, which we have done, I'll do that. But also, if Secretary Noem and President Trump understand that the situation is even worse, I'll bring in more.

Murphy: Is that, sir, what you're reporting to them? That the situation is worse?

Bovino: No, I'm reporting to them that what I need to deal with the situation at hand, if it becomes worse, then we'll deal with that accordingly. But we're here to do a Title 8 mission. I think that's what a lot of people are a little confused about. We're here to conduct that Title 8 mission. That is why I'll bring more Border Patrol agents or more DHS resources here. If I'm having problems conducting that Title 8 mission, we're going to conduct it. It won't stop. Despite rioters, agitators and vast amounts of violence against federal officers, we're not going to stop.

Murphy: And are you bringing more in? Because it was reported that at least 200 more would come in. It sounds like, I mean, how many more came in from that original 2,000?

Bovino: Sure, hundreds and hundreds more, a large contingent there of CBP, as Secretary Noam said earlier yesterday, and then, and then again today, I believe hundreds more. We're going to take care of the situation, and we are going to, we're going to, we're going to conduct that tiny, late mission. That's why we're here. We're going to take those bad people and bad things off the streets. One other thing, Ms. Murphy, that I think bears mentioning is every other city we've been in, whether it's Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Charlotte, double-digit drops in crime. You're going to see those double-digit drops in crime. It's probably already happened. Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets. And we're doing this for Ma and Pa America.

Murphy: How long are you going to be here, sir, with your this massive operation?

Bovino: And we'll be here 'til the mission is complete, until we take those bad people and bad things off the streets, those criminal aliens, and otherwise, we'll be here as long as it takes.

Murphy: And again, just finally, again, what would you say to people who really have questions about what you're doing here and are upset? Schools have been closed for days. I mean, this has been a big disruption in people's lives. There's a lot of news about it. What would you say to those people who are upset and even angry about the ICE presence here, which is growing as we speak?

Bovino: Sure, I would say that from my perspective on the ground, this mirrors every other city I've been to. Ninety percent of those American citizens and legal immigrants support what we're doing. We see that support every day. The thumbs up, the 'Hey, we appreciate what you're doing.' Sometimes it's under their breath because they're afraid of that 5% to 10% of very vocal individuals that will perpetrate, unfortunately, perpetrate violence. So I would say we've got a lot of social media out there, Instagram, Facebook, X, both ICE, Border Patrol, as well as Department of Homeland Security. We're very transparent with what we do, who we are arresting, who we're taking off the streets here. Tune in to that, and we're here to be transparent. That's why I'm here with you. Is that transparency? We're here after a Title 8 immigration mission, and we're going to conduct that mission.

Murphy: Is there anything I haven't asked you, or any point that you would like to make that you feel you haven't made, you know, just or what people are getting wrong here? Whatever you want to say. I mean, you've done a great job, and we appreciate your time. I know you're very, very busy.

Bovino: Yes, ma'am, I would say don't fall victim. Don't fall victim to whether it's a shade tree immigration lawyer or a community activist that has an agenda. A lot of these individuals don't care about the constituents or the individuals, the people here on the streets of Minneapolis, and some of these weaker-minded people, fall victim to what these individuals are saying, whether it's Mayor Frey or Gov. Walz or some of these community activists, they fall victim to this. Don't do that. Think for yourself, perpetrating violence against a federal officer. When has that ever been acceptable? We support the Constitution, the First Amendment, absolutely. I'll speak out if I see something wrong in a civic in and a respectful way. But I think some of these individuals fall victim to some people that have an agenda. I would ask them to think for themselves. Don't fall victim. Let us conduct this legal, ethical and moral law enforcement operation, get these bad people and bad things off the streets, and then we're off to the next city.

Murphy: Is President Trump personally monitoring what's happening here in Minneapolis, as his secretary Noem, are they both personally monitoring this and backing you up?

Bovino: They're well connected with what happens, not just in Minneapolis here, but across the United States. We've got a very robust reporting system, and they're obviously very interested in the safety of those federal agents and officers. They're also interested in the safety of the public here in Minneapolis, which is why we're here in the first place, taking just yesterday, the child child rapists, the child molesters, the child sex traffickers off the street. I don't think anyone wants those on the streets of Minneapolis. That's one of the reasons why we're here. So they're monitoring that whole, that whole situation, whether it's our safety, the safety of the citizens, that's what we're here for, and we're glad to be here, and for those 90% to 95% of Minnesotans that like us here, we salute you, we respect you, and we love you.