Bovino describes Minneapolis agent withdrawal as surrender

Greg Bovino, the former US border patrol chief, described the removal of federal agents from Minneapolis as a surrender by the Trump administration. He made these comments during a recent interview with the BBC. Bovino said the move signaled that the executive branch had thrown in the towel on its deportation efforts in the city.

According to Bovino, approximately 700 immigration agents left Minnesota. This withdrawal followed the death of two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in January. Both shootings were captured on video and triggered widespread protests and a bipartisan political backlash. President Donald Trump announced he would de-escalate the situation, leading to the reduction of federal personnel in the area. Tom Homan, known as the White House border tsar, took over the operation after the agents departed.

Bovino, who is 56, was removed from his position shortly after the January shootings. He has since retired from the border patrol. In the interview, he expressed regret for not arresting more undocumented immigrants in the state. He characterized his agents as the real victims of the incident, calling it the most violence faced by any law enforcement mission in US history. Bovino argued that video evidence did not undermine his claim that Good and Pretti intended to harm officers.

Earlier this month, the family of Renee Good filed two civil lawsuits against the administration. The legal action alleges wrongful death and a conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of protesters. The complaints name senior officials, including Bovino and Jonathan Ross, the agent who shot Good. The family argues that the operation created an environment for state-sponsored violence. A White House spokeswoman previously labeled the lawsuits baseless.

Bovino dismissed the legal proceedings, stating that people file lawsuits frequently. He said he was not responding directly to the family's actions. In response to his comments, the family's lawyers accused him of spewing propaganda. They stated that he could not serve as judge, jury, and executioner. The legal team said it looks forward to deposing Bovino and other defendants in the matter.

Bovino is currently campaigning in Detroit for tougher immigration enforcement. He has called for total spectrum immigration enforcement backed by the military. He claimed, without providing evidence, that 100 million people are in the US illegally. A White House spokesperson countered that Trump had delivered the largest reduction in illegal immigration in modern history. The spokesperson noted that more than 3 million undocumented immigrants had left the country due to the administration's policies.

Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary during the Minneapolis operation, was fired by President Trump in March. Bovino said he had not received a final explanation for his own removal from the border patrol. He suggested that the administration had decided to step back from the aggressive posture it had previously adopted.

Bovino also discussed a potential presidential run in 2028. He said he was exploring the possibility if politicians failed to step up and do their jobs. He recently addressed a far-right rally in Michigan. The event was organized by activists calling for the deportation of Abdul El-Sayed, a US-born citizen and Democratic Senate candidate. El-Sayed would become the first Muslim US senator if he defeats Republican Mike Rogers.