Former Border Patrol Chief Labels Minneapolis Retreat a Surrender

Greg Bovino, the former chief of US border patrol, has characterized the Trump administration's withdrawal of immigration agents from Minneapolis as a surrender. In a BBC interview, he defended the initial deportation drive and criticized the decision to pull forces from the city.

Bovino stated that the administration threw the towel in, leaving deportations at a virtual standstill. He expressed regret for not arresting more individuals he described as illegal aliens during the Minnesota operation. He referred to his agents as the real victims of what he called the most violence any law enforcement mission had faced in US history.

The former chief was removed from his post shortly after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot dead in January. Both incidents were captured on video, triggering bipartisan backlash and widespread protests. President Trump subsequently announced a de-escalation, and approximately 700 agents left the state. Tom Homan, the White House border tsar, assumed control of the operation.

Good's family filed two civil lawsuits against the administration earlier this month. The filings 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 document argues the mission created an unprecedented environment for state-sponsored violence. A White House spokeswoman previously dismissed the lawsuits as baseless.

In response to Bovino's comments, the family's lawyers accused him of spewing propaganda. They stated he could not serve as judge, jury, and executioner. The legal team said it looks forward to deposing Bovino and all other defendants in the matter.

Speaking in Detroit while campaigning for tougher immigration enforcement, Bovino disputed the claim that video evidence undermined his position that Good and Pretti intended to harm agents. He asserted that violence was perpetrated against US government agents and that society requires people to follow the law. Trump initially described Good as having violently and willfully run over an ICE officer. Weeks later, the president called her death a tragedy and acknowledged that agents sometimes make mistakes.

Bovino said he 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 from the agency. He now advocates for total spectrum immigration enforcement backed by the military. He has claimed that 100 million people are in the US illegally, a figure he presented without evidence.

A White House spokesperson stated that Trump delivered the largest reduction in illegal immigration in modern history. The official noted that more than 3 million illegal aliens had left the country due to presidential policies. Bovino also indicated he is exploring a presidential run in 2028. He recently addressed a far-right rally in Michigan where activists called for the deportation of Abdul El-Sayed, a US-born citizen and Democratic Senate candidate.