Commander Gregory Bovino, some Border Patrol agents set to leave Minneapolis, sources say
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and some of his green-uniformed agents are expected to soon leave the Minneapolis area, three sources familiar with the move tell CBS News.
One of the sources said Bovino was relieved of his command in Minneapolis and is expected to return to California's El Centro sector, where he served as the chief agent before the Trump administration deployed him to major American cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago.
The development, which effectively amounts to a demotion, follows intense backlash over how top federal officials, including Bovino, responded to the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Bovino, citing no evidence, suggested over the weekend Pretti intended to "massacre" federal agents. Some of the claims by Bovino and other officials were contradicted by witnesses and video from the scene.
News of Bovino's impending departure came hours after President Trump said Tom Homan, the White House border czar, would be heading to Minnesota.
Mr. Trump spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey earlier Monday. Frey said the president "agreed that the present situation cannot continue."
In recent months, Bovino has been one of the leading public faces of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, gaining notoriety due to his aggressive and outspoken approach for the job and for appearing in the field in tactical gear alongside rank-and-file Border Patrol personnel.
Before arriving in Minneapolis earlier this month, he was dispatched to Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans last year.
His presence in those cities was part of a significant change in tactics by the Trump administration, which has used Border Patrol agents to carry out immigration arrests hundreds of miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border. At one point during a Chicago enforcement operation, known as Midway Blitz, Border Patrol had made more arrests than Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is normally responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the interior of the country.
Over that time, Bovino has drawn criticism from those who view the administration's immigration tactics as overly harsh and its response to protests heavy-handed — and plaudits from many supporters of the president who view him as a no-nonsense enforcer of his deportation campaign.
He left Chicago in November, a week after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against federal immigration agents over their use of force during Operation Midway Blitz, saying it "shocks the conscience."
Soon after Bovino took the helm, agents were seen deploying tear gas on residential neighborhood streets, near schools and against civilians.
U.S. District Judge Sarah Ellis noted that Bovino has personally been involved in using tear gas at protests. And the judge said Bovino "admitted that he lied" about the circumstances that led up to one use of tear gas. At one point, Ellis ordered Bovino to appear in court every evening at 6 p.m. to brief her about Border Patrol agents' actions.
Border Patrol's actions have caused tensions inside DHS, where some ICE leaders feel their counterparts' operations have become too aggressive and controversial, undermining public support, CBS News has previously reported.
Though anyone found to be in the U.S. illegally is eligible to be arrested under the Trump administration, ICE officials have privately argued the focus should be on arresting those with criminal records, not undertaking more indiscriminate and visible sweeps in locations like Home Depot parking lots, sources told CBS News.
Bovino has long defended the tactics used by Border Patrol agents, calling them necessary to quell riots that threatened federal law enforcement personnel.
"The use of force that I've seen has been exemplary — the least amount of force necessary to accomplish the mission," Bovino told CBS News in October.
The White House has also publicly defended Bovino.
"Mr. Bovino is a wonderful man, and he is a great professional," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Monday, before his departure from Minneapolis was reported. "He is going to very much continue to lead [Customs and Border Protection] throughout and across the country."
