Border Patrol commander Bovino and some agents expected to leave Minneapolis
Greg Bovino has been at the center of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdowns.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he spoke to President Donald Trump about the immigration crackdown in his city and that some federal officers will begin leaving.
Frey said he asked Trump in a phone call to end the immigration enforcement surge and that Trump agreed the present situation cannot continue.
Frey said some agents will begin leaving Tuesday. The mayor said he would keep pushing for others involved in Operation Metro Surge to go.
Trump posted on social media that he had a good conversation with Frey. “Lots of progress is being made!” he wrote.
A senior Border Patrol commander and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.
The expected departure of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in cities nationwide, comes as President Donald Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The person familiar with the matter was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Bovino’s departure marks a significant public shift in federal law enforcement posture amid mounting outrage over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
His leadership of highly visible federal crackdowns, including operations that sparked mass demonstrations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis, has drawn fierce criticism from local officials, civil rights advocates, and congressional Democrats.
Criticism has increased around Bovino in the last few days after his public defense of the Pretti shooting and disputed claims about the confrontation that led to his death.