US Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who led immigration sweeps, to retire at end of March
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Mr Gregory Bovino was removed from his role as a Border Patrol “commander-at-large” in January, after the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Gregory Bovino, a US Border Patrol official, will retire at the end of March, marking the departure of a key figure in Trump's immigration crackdown.
- Bovino's leadership included controversial sweeps, diminishing public support for Trump's policies after fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
- Trump nominated Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem and Tom Homan was appointed to oversee the Minnesota crackdown.
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WASHINGTON - US Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino plans to retire at the end of March, he confirmed to Reuters on March 17, marking the formal departure of a prominent leader of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
Mr Bovino, 55, led confrontational immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and other major US cities.
Under his leadership, masked border agents clashed with residents as they scoured neighbourhoods for possible immigration offenders.
“The greatest honour 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,” Mr Bovino told the conservative news outlet Breitbart, in an interview published on March 16.
He did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters why he planned to leave now.
The Trump crackdown culminated in the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis in January.
Trump officials initially portrayed the victims - Renee Good and Alex Pretti - as aggressors rather than calling for investigations into the incidents, claims that were undercut by video evidence.
Reuters/Ipsos polls show public support for Mr Trump’s immigration approach - historically one of his strongest issues - diminished as Bovino-led agents surged into US cities, triggering backlash and legal challenges.
Mr Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this month, with her tenure set to end on March 31.
To replace Ms Noem, Mr Trump nominated US Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma with similar hardline views who will testify before a Senate panel on March 18.
Even before Ms Noem’s firing, Mr Bovino was removed from his role as a Border Patrol “commander-at-large” in January after Ms Good and Mr Pretti were killed, with Reuters and other outlets reporting he would soon retire.
Mr Trump’s border czar, Mr Tom Homan, was named the top official overseeing the Minnesota crackdown, which then was scaled back.
US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson David Kim said Mr Bovino had not yet filed retirement paperwork.
Mr Kim said Mr Bovino, who grew up in North Carolina, missed bear hunting and harvesting apples while leading Trump immigration operations. REUTERS
