Former Border Patrol Chief Calls Minneapolis Withdrawal a Surrender

Greg Bovino, the former head of the US border patrol, has labeled the withdrawal of immigration agents from Minneapolis a surrender by the current administration. Bovino, who became the public figurehead for the city's deportation campaign, made these comments during an interview with the BBC. He defended the overall operation while criticizing the decision to reduce the agent presence.

The 56 year old was removed from his position shortly after two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed in January. Both incidents were captured on video, sparking protests and a bipartisan backlash. President Donald Trump subsequently stated he intended to de-escalate the situation. Approximately 700 agents left the state, and Tom Homan, the White House border tsar, assumed control of the operation.

Bovino also addressed a lawsuit filed by Good's family earlier this month. The family alleges wrongful death and a conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of protesters. One of the suits names Bovino and Jonathan Ross, the agent who shot Good, for their individual roles in the operation. The legal team argues the operation created an unprecedented environment for state sponsored violence. A White House spokeswoman previously described the lawsuits as baseless.

In response to Bovino's remarks, the family's lawyers stated he was spewing propaganda and could not act as judge, jury, and executioner. They added that their team looks forward to deposing Bovino and all other defendants. Bovino waved away the legal action, noting that people file lawsuits all the time, and praised the officers deployed to Minneapolis.

Speaking from Detroit, where he was campaigning for stricter immigration enforcement, Bovino claimed deportations have reached a virtual standstill. He expressed regret for not arresting more illegal aliens in Minnesota and described his agents as the real victims of the most violence any law enforcement mission has faced in US history. When asked if video evidence undermined his claim that the victims intended to harm agents, he disagreed, stating that violence was perpetrated against government agents.

Bovino said he does not know why he was removed from his post, noting he has not received a final explanation. Kristi Noem, who served as Homeland Security secretary during the operation, was fired by Trump in March. Bovino has since retired from the border patrol. He has advocated for total spectrum immigration enforcement backed by the military and claimed 100 million people are in the US illegally. He also suggested he might run for president in 2028 if politicians do not step up.