700 Immigration Agents Exit Minnesota as Bovino Calls Withdrawal a Surrender

Approximately 700 federal immigration agents left Minnesota, a number that marks the end of the large-scale enforcement operation in the state. Greg Bovino, the former chief of US Border Patrol, described the exit as a surrender by the Trump administration. He made the comments during an interview with the BBC while speaking in Detroit. Bovino said the government threw the towel in and that deportations have now reached a virtual standstill. He expressed regret for not going harder in the state and not arresting more illegal aliens during the operation.

The withdrawal followed the deaths of two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were shot dead in January. Both incidents were captured on video and triggered widespread protests and bipartisan backlash. President Donald Trump stated he was going to de-escalate the situation and ordered hundreds of agents out of the city. Tom Homan, the White House border tsar, took over the operation after the pullout. Bovino, who was the public face of the Minneapolis deportation drive, was removed from his role shortly after the shootings.

Good’s family filed two civil lawsuits against the administration earlier this month. The suits allege wrongful death and a conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of protesters. One lawsuit names senior officials, including Bovino and Jonathan Ross, the agent who shot Good, for their individual roles in the operation. The legal team argues the operation created an environment for state-sponsored violence. A White House spokeswoman previously called the lawsuits baseless. Bovino said he was not responding to the legal action and noted that people file lawsuits all the time.

Bovino’s comments prompted a reaction from the family’s lawyers. They described his remarks as propaganda and stated he could not act as judge, jury, and executioner. The legal team said it looks forward to taking depositions from Bovino and all other defendants in the case. Bovino defended the officers sent to Minneapolis, calling them the real victims of the most violence any law enforcement mission had faced in US history. He maintained that the video evidence supported the claim that Good and Pretti meant to harm agents.

Bovino stated that violence was perpetrated against agents of the US government. He added that society is one of laws and that people must follow them or face consequences. Trump initially described Good as having violently and willfully run over an ICE officer. Weeks later, the president called the death a tragedy and acknowledged that agents sometimes make a mistake. Bovino said he has not received the final word on why he was removed from his position. Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary during the operation, was fired by Trump in March.

The former border chief has advocated for total spectrum immigration enforcement backed by the military. He has claimed, without providing evidence, that 100 million people are in the US illegally. A White House spokesperson countered that Trump delivered the largest reduction in illegal immigration in modern history. The spokesperson stated that more than 3 million illegal aliens left the country due to the administration’s policies. Bovino has retired from the border patrol since the controversy. He is currently campaigning for tougher immigration enforcement in Michigan.

Bovino hinted at exploring a presidential run in 2028. He said that if politicians do not step up to do their jobs, something might happen. He recently addressed a far-right rally in Michigan where activists called for the deportation of Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed is a US-born citizen and Democratic Senate candidate. He would become the first Muslim US senator if he defeats Republican Mike Rogers in the upcoming election.