Ex-Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino Defends Minneapolis Deportation Raid
- Greg Bovino defended the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis and called the withdrawal of agents a surrender by the administration.
- Bovino became the public face of the controversial deportation drive in Minneapolis.
- Bovino was removed from his post shortly after the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.
Greg Bovino defended the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis and called the withdrawal of agents a surrender by the administration. The 56-year-old former US border patrol chief spoke publicly following his removal from the enforcement drive that took place earlier this year.
Border Patrol Chief Defends Operation
Bovino became the public face of the controversial deportation drive in Minneapolis. He defended the enforcement efforts in an interview with the BBC and criticized the federal decision to pull personnel out of the municipality.
Bovino was removed from his post shortly after the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January. Those two deaths were captured on video and sparked a bipartisan political backlash alongside widespread street protests.
Lawsuits Target Federal Officials
Good’s family filed two civil lawsuits against the Trump administration earlier this month, alleging wrongful death and a conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of demonstrators. One of the complaints names Bovino and Jonathan Ross, the agent who shot Good, for their individual roles in the operation.
The legal filing argues that the federal operation created an unprecedented environment for state-sponsored violence in Minneapolis. When asked about the litigation, Bovino stated that he was not responding to the claims and dismissed the action by saying people do lawsuits all the time
while praising the deployed officers.
Legal Teams Prepare For Depositions
Lawyers representing Good’s family criticized Bovino’s public remarks. The legal team stated that Bovino was spewing propaganda and could not act as judge, jury, and executioner, adding that they look forward to the depositions of Bovino and the other defendants.
A White House spokeswoman previously called the civil lawsuits baseless. President Donald Trump previously stated that he intended to de-escalate the situation and withdrew hundreds of immigration agents from Minneapolis following the fatal shootings and subsequent protests.