US Border Patrol Chief Bovino under fire after Minneapolis deaths

U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks next to U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli, Assistant Director in Charge at Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Los Angeles Akil Davis, HUD Regional Administrator William Spencer, U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino and ICE Field Office Director Ernie Santacruz at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, Calif. on June 20, 2025.

Chief patrol agent of the El Centro sector, Greg Bovino, stands on a street corner with federal agents after patrolling several tourist districts in the downtown area, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered increased federal law enforcement presence to assist in crime prevention, in Chicago, Ill. on Sept. 28, 2025.

Greg Bovino, a roving Border Patrol operations commander leading President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in the area, and U.S. federal agents walk through a neighborhood during an immigration raid, after Trump ordered increased federal law enforcement presence to assist in crime prevention, in the East Side neighborhood of Waukegan, Ill. on Nov. 7, 2025.

A woman blows a whistle in front of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, at a gas station, as immigration enforcement continues after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good on January 7, in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 21, 2026.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino leaves federal court at Dirksen Federal Building after his hearing in Chicago, Illinois, on Oct. 28, 2025. Bovino was ordered to appear in federal court for violating a temporary restraining order issued by District Judge Sara Ellis that orders immigration enforcement agents to limit use of tear gas and other crowd-suppression items except when there is an imminent threat.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino leaves a gas station while leading a raid in Metairie, Louisiana, on Dec. 3, 2025. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday it has launched a federal immigration enforcement operation, named "Operation Catahoula Crunch," in the New Orleans, La. area.

A protestor holds sign reading "Arrest Bovino," referring to US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, before a city council meeting at City Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Dec. 4, 2025. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on December 3 it has launched a federal immigration enforcement operation, named "Operation Catahoula Crunch," in the New Orleans, La. area.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino (C) looks at a supporter of immigration raids while conducting an operation in Kenner, La. on Dec.5, 2025. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on December 3 it has launched a federal immigration enforcement operation, named "Operation Catahoula Crunch," in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino (C-R) poses for photos with customers inside a gas station convenience store while conducting an immigration raid in Kenner, La. on Dec.5, 2025. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on December 3 it has launched a federal immigration enforcement operation, named "Operation Catahoula Crunch," in the New Orleans, La. area.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino (R) exits the convenience store of a gas station while conducting an immigration raid in Kenner, La. on Dec. 5, 2025. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on December 3 it has launched a federal immigration enforcement operation, named "Operation Catahoula Crunch," in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area.

U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino pushes through a crowd of media and protesters as he enters the Dirksen Federal Building on Oct. 28, 2025, in Chicago, Ill. Bovino is appearing before U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis amid accusations that he and agents under his command have defied court limits on tear gas and other crowd control tactics during President Donald Trump's Operation Midway Blitz enforcement surge across Chicago and the suburbs.

US Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino leaves federal court at Dirksen Federal Building after his hearing in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 28, 2025. Bovino was ordered to appear in federal court for violating a temporary restraining order issued by District Judge Sara Ellis that orders immigration enforcement agents to limit use of tear gas and other crowd-suppression items except when there is an imminent threat.

U.S. Chief Border Patrol Agent, Gregory Bovino knocks on a door of a suspected undocumented immigrant while conducting an immigration enforcement operation in a neighborhood on Dec. 6, 2025 in Kenner, La. Federal agents are conducting 'Operation Catahoula Crunch,' launched by the Department of Homeland Security as a part of an immigration crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the United States.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino patrols with fellow agents in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood on Dec. 16, 2025 in Chicago, Ill. The patrol through the city's southwest side and nearby suburbs was the most visible immigration enforcement activity in the area since the border patrol chief left the area last month.

US Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino argues with protesters near Roosevelt High School during dismissal time as federal immigration enforcement actions sparked protests in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 7, 2026. Clad in tactical gear with a helmet and hurling a tear gas canister at protesters, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has become the public face of President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign.

US Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino holds a canister munition during an operation to detain a man in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 8, 2026. Clad in tactical gear with a helmet and hurling a tear gas canister at protesters, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has become the public face of President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign.

US Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino (C) stands flanked by fellow federal agents during a protest against ICE outside the Bishop Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 15, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security denied a report on January 26 that US Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino had been removed from his post, despite President Donald Trump reassessing harsh immigration crackdown tactics that led to the deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis. "Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties," DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on X, reiterating the White House messaging that Bovino "is a key part of the President's team and a great American."

US Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino walks to his vehicle at a gas station in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan.21, 2026. Clad in tactical gear with a helmet and hurling a tear gas canister at protesters, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has become the public face of President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign.

U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino looks on as he is confronted by community members on Jan.21, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minn. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal plus federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino speaks during a news conference on Jan. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commander at Large Gregory Bovino speaks during a news conference at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal on Jan. 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minn. The news conference comes after 37-year-old legal observer Alex Pretti was fatally shot during a confrontation with federal agents. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region.