Border Patrol Official Gregory Bovino to Retire After Controversial Immigration Raids

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Gregory Bovino, a longtime Border Patrol official who oversaw controversial immigration raids in cities across the U.S., is retiring from federal service at the end of this month, according to two sources familiar with his decision. Bovino was pulled from his role leading the raids earlier this year after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis sparked widespread political backlash.

Why it matters

Bovino's retirement comes after he became a leading public face of the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration, with his teams of Border Patrol agents conducting controversial operations that sparked local outcry in several major cities.

The details

Over the past years, Bovino served as the chief patrol agent of the El Centro sector along the California-Mexico border. In 2022, he was deployed to cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans and Minneapolis, to oversee sweeping immigration arrest operations. These operations came under scrutiny, with local residents and leaders denouncing them as heavy-handed and indiscriminate. Bovino was relieved of his role in late January after the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis and his response triggered widespread political backlash.

• Bovino was deployed to the Los Angeles area in June 2022 to conduct immigration arrest operations.
• In September 2022, Bovino and his agents were deployed to Chicago.
• Bovino was relieved of his role in late January 2023 after the fatal shootings in Minneapolis.

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