Bovino’s exit comes less than two weeks after President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
WASHINGTON โ A top U.S. Customs and Border Protection official who became the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns in cities across the U.S. has announced his retirement.
Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino announced his retirement in an exclusive interview with Breitbart. The news was also reported by multiple other media outlets, which cited unnamed sources directly familiar with his decision.
โThe 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,โ Bovino reportedly told Brietbart. โWatching these agents out there giving it their all in some of the most dangerous of environments we have ever faced was humbling.โ
The announcement comes two weeks after President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after mounting criticism over her leadership of the department, including the handling of the administrationโs immigration crackdown and disaster response.
Bovino was the public face of the Trump administrationโs city-by-city immigration sweeps until late January. The Border Patrol chief led agents in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans before he headed to Minnesota in December for what Homeland Security called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.
The administration removed Bovino from his leading role after federal officers in Minneapolis fatally shot 37-year-old mother Renee Good and 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti on different days, leading to nationwide demonstrations and criticisms of Homeland Security’s use-of-force policies.
This is a developing story and will be updated. The Associated Press contributed to this report.ย
