Greg Bovino Defends Minneapolis Raids and Calls Withdrawal a Surrender

Greg Bovino, the former US border patrol chief who led the high-profile deportation operations in Minneapolis, described the subsequent removal of agents from the city as a surrender by the Trump administration. He made the characterization during a BBC interview conducted this week.

Bovino, 56, stated that the federal government threw the towel in, claiming that deportations have reached a virtual standstill. He expressed regret for not arresting more individuals during the campaign, which he described as facing the most violence any law enforcement mission had ever encountered in US history.

The former chief defended the tactics used by his officers, asserting that the video evidence of the incidents did not undermine the claim that Renee Good and Alex Pretti intended to harm agents. He argued that violence was perpetrated against US government agents and that citizens must follow the law, noting that failure to do so carries consequences.

Bovino addressed the two civil lawsuits filed earlier this month by the family of Good, who was shot dead in January. The legal action alleges wrongful death and a conspiracy to interfere with civil rights. Bovino said he was not responding to the suit, dismissing the legal action by noting that people file lawsuits all the time.

The family’s lawyers reacted sharply to Bovino’s comments, stating that he was spouting propaganda and could not serve as judge, jury, and executioner. They added that their team looks forward to taking depositions from Bovino and other defendants in the case.

Context for Bovino’s remarks lies in the events of January, when Good and Pretti were killed in separate shootings captured on video. The incidents triggered bipartisan backlash and widespread protests. President Donald Trump subsequently announced a de-escalation, ordering the withdrawal of hundreds of immigration agents. Approximately 700 agents left the state, and Tom Homan, the White House border tsar, assumed control of the operation.

Bovino was removed from his role shortly after the shootings. He said he has not received a final explanation for his departure. Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary during the operation, was fired by Trump in March. Bovino has since retired from the border patrol.

In his campaign for tougher enforcement, Bovino has called for total spectrum immigration enforcement backed by the military. He has claimed, without providing evidence, that 100 million people are in the US illegally. A White House spokesperson countered that Trump delivered the largest reduction in illegal immigration in modern history, with more than 3 million illegal aliens leaving the country due to his policies.

Bovino also suggested he is exploring a presidential run in 2028. He said that if politicians do not step up to do their jobs, something might happen. He recently spoke at a far-right rally in Michigan where activists demanded the deportation of Abdul El-Sayed, a US-born citizen and Democratic Senate candidate who is running against Republican Mike Rogers.