Former Border Chief Describes 700-Agent Withdrawal From Minnesota as Surrender

Approximately 700 federal immigration agents left Minnesota in January, a move former Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino described on Friday as a surrender by the Trump administration. Bovino, 56, made the comments during a BBC interview while speaking in Detroit. He stated that the administration threw the towel in, leaving deportations at a virtual standstill.

Bovino served as the public face of the Minneapolis deportation drive before being removed from his role. His departure followed the shootings of two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in January. Video of both incidents sparked bipartisan backlash and widespread protests. President Donald Trump subsequently announced plans to de-escalate the situation and ordered hundreds of agents out of the city.

Tom Homan, the White House border tsar, assumed command of the operation after Bovino's exit. Bovino said he regretted not arresting more illegal aliens in Minnesota, calling his agents the real victims of what he termed the most violence faced by any law enforcement mission in US history. He maintained that video evidence did not undermine his claim that Good and Pretti intended to harm officers.

In response to questions about the visual proof, Bovino argued that violence was perpetrated against US government agents. He emphasized that society follows laws and that consequences exist for those who do not. Trump initially described Good as violently running over an ICE officer, though he later referred to her death as a tragedy and acknowledged that agents sometimes make mistakes.

The family of Renee Good filed two civil lawsuits against the administration earlier this month. The suits allege wrongful death and a conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of protesters. One lawsuit 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.

Bovino said he was not responding to the legal action, noting that people file lawsuits all the time. He praised the officers sent to Minneapolis. The family's lawyers called Bovino's comments propaganda, stating he could not serve as judge, jury, and executioner. They said their legal team looks forward to deposing Bovino and all other defendants in the matter.

Bovino said he still has not received a final explanation for his removal from the border patrol. Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary during the operation, was fired by Trump in March. Bovino has since retired and has advocated for total spectrum immigration enforcement backed by the military. He claimed without evidence that 100 million people are in the US illegally.

A White House spokesperson previously called the lawsuits baseless. The official also stated 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 said he is exploring a presidential run in 2028, suggesting politicians must step up or something might happen.

He recently addressed a far-right rally in Michigan. The event featured activists calling for the deportation of Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed is a US-born citizen and Democratic Senate candidate who would become the first Muslim US senator if he defeats Republican Mike Rogers.