Trending Now - Border Patrol's Gregory Bovino to Retire Amid Legal Changes
WHO:
Tom Homan, White House border czar, was sent to Minneapolis to help quell tensions between state and local leaders and the Department of Homeland Security.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, was ousted around the same time as Bovino's expected retirement.
Gregory K. Bovino, U.S. Border Patrol commander
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary
Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol official, chief patrol agent of the El Centro sector
Trump administration
WHAT:
Bovino has not yet submitted the required retirement paperwork, leaving open the possibility that his retirement plan may change.
Bovino led operations involving approximately 200 agents during his tenure.
Bovino announced his retirement in an interview with Breitbart.
Bovino stated, "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."
Gregory Bovino is retiring from federal service at the end of March 2026.
Bovino oversaw immigration raids in major U.S. cities.
Immigration arrest operations conducted in various cities sparked local outcry.
Bovino was relieved of his role in late January 2026 after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
WHERE:
El Centro sector along the California-Mexico border
Los Angeles, California
Chicago, Illinois
Charlotte, North Carolina
New Orleans, Louisiana
Minneapolis, Minnesota
WHEN:
Bovino was relieved of his commander-at-large duties in January 2026.
Bovino was nearly three decades into his career with the U.S. Border Patrol as of March 2026.
Bovino was removed from his role in January 2026.
Retirement effective at the end of March 2026
Deployment to Los Angeles in June 2025
Deployment to Chicago in September 2025
Relieved of his role in late January 2026
Fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti occurred in January 2026
WHY:
The administration has since adopted a more targeted approach to immigration enforcement, moving away from the broad immigration sweeps conducted last year.
His conduct during the Chicago operation drew stern rebukes from a federal judge, who ruled that his descriptions of events weren’t supported by video evidence.
Political backlash followed the response from Bovino and other officials after the shootings of Good and Pretti.
HOW:
Bovino's operations in various cities, including Minneapolis, faced scrutiny for being heavy-handed and indiscriminate, with local leaders denouncing the tactics used by his agents.
Bovino and his team were dispatched to Los Angeles in June 2025, where they arrested criminal illegal immigrants, sparking local outcry, including from Mayor Karen Bass.
Bovino and his team conducted immigration arrest operations, including stopping individuals to ask for their immigration status based on their accent.
(UPDATED March 16, 2026 23:08 UTC)
In a significant move, Tom Homan, the White House border czar, has been dispatched to Minneapolis to help ease tensions between local leaders and the Department of Homeland Security, following the ousting of Secretary Kristi Noem. This comes as Bovino, who led operations with around 200 agents, has yet to submit his retirement paperwork, leaving his future uncertain after being relieved of his duties in January. The administration is now focusing on a more targeted approach to immigration enforcement, moving away from the broad sweeps that faced criticism for being heavy-handed and indiscriminate.
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(UPDATED March 16, 2026 21:08 UTC)
U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory K. Bovino announced his retirement in an interview with Breitbart, reflecting on nearly three decades of service and calling it the greatest honor of his life to work alongside agents in challenging conditions. His departure follows a controversial Chicago operation that led to stern rebukes from a federal judge, who found that Bovino's descriptions of events were not supported by video evidence. In June 2025, Bovino and his team were sent to Los Angeles, where their arrests of criminal illegal immigrants sparked significant local outcry, including criticism from Mayor Karen Bass.
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(UPDATED March 16, 2026 19:25 UTC)
Gregory Bovino, the chief patrol agent of the El Centro sector, is set to retire from federal service at the end of March 2026 after overseeing controversial immigration raids in major U.S. cities. His departure follows significant political backlash related to his response to the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January 2026, which led to his relief from duty just weeks later. During his tenure, Bovino's team conducted immigration arrest operations in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Orleans, often stopping individuals to inquire about their immigration status based on their accent.