U.S. Border Patrol Commander Retires After Controversial Minneapolis Raids

Greg Bovino, face of Trump's mass deportation campaign, steps down amid deaths of two U.S. citizens during immigration enforcement operations.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 8:49pm

Greg Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol commander who became the face of the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign, will retire after being reassigned from his leadership role amid controversial immigration raids throughout the country, including in Minneapolis where two U.S. citizens were killed.

Why it matters

Bovino's retirement comes after he faced heavy scrutiny from Democrats who accused him and federal immigration authorities of being indiscriminate and aggressive, targeting immigrants with no criminal records and even U.S. citizens during the controversial raids.

The details

Bovino was removed from his role as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander at large in January after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis during immigration enforcement operations. He will now return to his previous role as Border Patrol sector chief in El Centro, California.

  • Bovino was dispatched to Los Angeles in June 2025 to arrest criminal illegal immigrants, sparking local outcry.
  • Bovino and his team were then deployed to Minneapolis, where they were followed by civilians who impeded law enforcement operations.
  • Good was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent as she drove forward in his direction.
  • Pretti was fatally shot after he approached immigration agents with a 9mm handgun and resisted when they tried to disarm him.

The players

Greg Bovino

The U.S. Border Patrol commander who became the face of the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign before being reassigned from his leadership role amid controversial immigration raids.

Renee Good

A U.S. citizen who was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during the Minneapolis immigration raids.

Alex Pretti

A U.S. citizen who was fatally shot after approaching immigration agents with a 9mm handgun and resisting when they tried to disarm him during the Minneapolis immigration raids.

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What they’re saying

“The greatest honor of my entire life was to work alongside Border Patrol agents on the border and in the interior of the United States in some of the most challenging conditions the agency has ever faced. Watching these agents out there giving it their all in some of the most dangerous of environments we have ever faced was humbling.”

— Greg Bovino

The takeaway

Bovino's retirement highlights the ongoing tensions and controversies surrounding the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement policies, which have come under intense scrutiny for allegedly targeting even U.S. citizens and those without criminal records, with tragic consequences.