(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) — The Atlantic reported the Department of Homeland Security removed Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol’s “commander at large,” from his role in Minneapolis and sent him back to his previous position in El Centro, California, after a weekend death involving one of his agents.
A DHS official and two other sources told The Atlantic that Bovino, who had been heavily involved in nationwide immigration crackdowns, was set to leave Minneapolis as soon as Tuesday because of an agent’s involvement in the death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse. Reports have also indicated Bovino could retire soon.
CNN reported Bovino’s access to his social media accounts was cut off effective immediately.
Tricia McLaughlin disputed the account of Bovino’s removal in an online statement on X, writing that “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties,” and adding that he “is a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”
The reported shift involving Bovino followed what was described as chaotic immigration enforcement in Minneapolis that included two fatal incidents this month, including Pretti’s death on Saturday and the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by an ICE agent on January 7.
The Atlantic account described Pretti as having been killed by federal agents after being sprayed with mace, thrown to the ground, beaten, and shot multiple times.
Bovino responded publicly by blaming Democrats, community leaders and journalists for escalation, saying on Sunday that when they “engage in that heated rhetoric we keep talking about, when they make the choice to vilify law enforcement, calling law enforcement names like Gestapo or using the term kidnapping, that is a choice that has made their actions and consequences that come from those choices.”
“When politicians, community leaders and some journalists engage in that heated rhetoric we keep talking about, when they make the choice to vilify law enforcement, calling law enforcement names like Gestapo or using the term kidnapping, that is a choice that has made their actions and consequences that come from those choices.”
He added: “When someone chooses to listen to a politician, a so-called journalist, or a community leader that spouts that type of vilification towards law enforcement or anything else… there are consequences and actions there also, I think we saw that [Saturday].”
Bovino described Good and Pretti as “suspects” who “assault, delay, obstruct or threaten a law enforcement officer’s life” and dodged questions on agency responsibility, the report said.
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he asked border czar Tom Homan to oversee operations in Minneapolis. Trump described Homan as “tough but fair” and said Homan would report directly to him.
Trump also described having “very good” conversations with Jacob Frey. Frey said Trump “agreed the present situation can’t continue” and that “some federal agents will begin leaving the area tomorrow.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Trump agreed to “look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota.”
The accounts left competing versions of Bovino’s status at the center of the political and operational debate, with McLaughlin’s statement rejecting the idea that DHS had removed him, even as other reports described his departure from Minneapolis and return to El Centro, California.
Bovino’s title in the reports, Border Patrol “commander at large,” drew attention because it described him as operating in Minneapolis while also being tied to broader enforcement actions beyond a single location.
The Atlantic described Bovino as heavily involved in nationwide immigration crackdowns, placing him in a prominent role during the enforcement activity that has drawn scrutiny in Minneapolis.
Trump’s announcement naming Homan to oversee operations in the city added another layer to the public picture, as the White House pointed to a new oversight role while local leaders talked about federal agents leaving.
Democrats, meanwhile, treated the reports about Bovino as a confirmed firing and used them to argue for a broader shakeup.
Rosemary Boeglin called it “Greg Bovino’s firing” and demanded firings of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, and adviser Corey Lewandowski.
“An American citizen was murdered this weekend at the hands of federal agents. Trump and Vance should immediately fire Noem, Stephen Miller, and Corey Lewandowski — or else they are sending a clear message to voters that getting murdered for exercising your constitutional rights is acceptable in Trump’s America.”
Boeglin also said Noem and Lewandowski had championed Bovino.
The dispute over Bovino’s Minneapolis assignment played out alongside arguments over language and responsibility after the deaths of Pretti and Good, with Bovino’s use of the word “suspects” for both individuals drawing attention in the reporting.
McLaughlin’s denial on X framed Bovino not as being sidelined but as central to the administration, a response that directly contradicted the account that he had been removed from the Minneapolis role and was returning to El Centro, California.
Trump’s decision to put Homan in charge of oversight in Minneapolis also intersected with the city’s discussions with the White House, as Frey and Walz described commitments by Trump to reduce the federal presence.
Frey’s description of Trump’s position focused on urgency. Frey said, “Agreed the present situation can’t continue,” while also saying “some federal agents will begin leaving the area tomorrow.”
Walz, speaking about his own conversation with Trump, said the President agreed to “look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota.”
The Atlantic’s account of Pretti’s death described an episode involving force and multiple shots, and placed that incident at the center of the reported decision to move Bovino out of Minneapolis.
The earlier death of Good, shot by an ICE agent on January 7, formed part of the enforcement backdrop referenced in the reporting, as Minneapolis confronted renewed attention over federal activity and the conduct of agents.
Bovino’s remarks on Sunday argued that criticism of law enforcement and heated rhetoric helped drive escalation, and he linked that argument to the events on Saturday.
His comments also framed those killed as “suspects” who “assault, delay, obstruct or threaten a law enforcement officer’s life,” and the reporting said he dodged questions on agency responsibility.
The political messaging around Bovino has moved in two directions at once: one track stressing that he remains in place as part of Trump’s team, and another describing his Minneapolis role as ended and treating it as a firing.
For DHS, McLaughlin’s statement on X served as the clearest official pushback to the idea that Bovino had been relieved of his duties. “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties,” she wrote, calling him “a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”
For the White House, Trump’s Monday announcement naming Homan to oversee Minneapolis operations presented a direct intervention into how the administration describes command and control in the city.
Local leaders, in turn, positioned their own conversations with Trump as producing commitments to reduce the number of federal agents, describing steps that they said would start quickly.
Boeglin’s response tied Bovino’s status to the deaths and to the broader direction of federal enforcement, urging not only Bovino’s removal but also firings of Noem, Miller and Lewandowski.
The result has been a fast-moving public argument over who is in charge of Minneapolis operations, what role Bovino continues to play, and how federal enforcement should respond after the two deaths.
At the center of that debate, Bovino’s own Sunday comments cast public criticism of law enforcement as consequential, saying:
“When someone chooses to listen to a politician, a so-called journalist, or a community leader that spouts that type of vilification towards law enforcement or anything else… there are consequences and actions there also, I think we saw that [Saturday].”
Gregory Bovino Border Patrol Removed from Minneapolis Post Expected to Retire
Following the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, reports suggest Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is being moved out of Minneapolis. While the administration disputes claims of his firing, President Trump has appointed Tom Homan to oversee local operations. This shift occurs as Minnesota officials negotiate a reduction in federal agents after two fatal incidents involving law enforcement sparked national outcry and political debate over agency accountability.
