How did greg bovina lose his ice job
Executive summary
Gregory “Greg” Bovino was removed from his role overseeing rapid-deployment Border Patrol operations in interior cities after a backlash over a Minneapolis Border Patrol shooting and his public defense of the agents involved, and officials moved to replace his on-the-ground leadership with former ICE chief Tom Homan [1] [2]. Multiple outlets reported Bovino would return to a sector chief post in El Centro or otherwise leave Minnesota, even as DHS publicly pushed back, saying he “has NOT been relieved of his duties,” creating a contested narrative about whether this was a firing, a demotion, or a tactical reassignment [3] [4].
1. The precipitating event: a deadly Minneapolis shooting and immediate fallout
The chain that led to Bovino’s loss of the high-profile “commander at large” role began when Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti during an operation in Minneapolis, an episode that intensified scrutiny of the federal “Operation Metro Surge” and focused anger on the officials running it [5] [6]. Bovino publicly defended the agents and echoed Department of Homeland Security claims that Pretti intended to “massacre” federal officers — assertions that were disputed and that critics say inflamed protesters and political backlash [1] [7]. Those comments, together with footage and reports of federal agents using less-lethal munitions and chemical irritants against demonstrators, became central to the clamor for leadership changes [8] [7].
2. Reports of removal, demotion, and an exit from Minnesota
Within days of the shooting, multiple news organizations reported that Bovino would be removed from his “commander at large” role overseeing interior deployments and would leave Minnesota, returning to a prior sector chief post in El Centro, California — a move described by some outlets as a demotion or a prelude to retirement [1] [3] [5]. The Atlantic framed it as a sudden demotion tied to reconsideration of aggressive tactics after the deaths and political fallout [1], while local and national outlets described Bovino and some agents as “expected to depart” Minneapolis imminently amid protests and memorials for Pretti [9] [6].
3. The White House response and a new leader on the scene
President Trump dispatched former ICE chief Tom Homan to lead operations in Minnesota, a move publicized as a change in command that signaled the administration wanted a different posture on the ground; coverage tied Homan’s arrival to Bovino’s expected departure [1] [2]. News reports noted that Customs and Border Protection officials including Commissioner Rodney Scott would play roles, underscoring a formal reshuffling of who would oversee the surge [3]. Conservative outlets framed the change as an operational redeployment while critics saw it as the administration responding to bipartisan outrage and potential congressional pressure [10] [5].
4. Conflicting official statements and media accounts
Even as outlets from The Atlantic to the New York Times and the BBC reported Bovino’s removal or imminent departure, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly stated that Bovino “has NOT been relieved of his duties,” praising him as “a key part of the President’s team,” which injected ambiguity into whether this was formal discipline or a tactical reassignment [4] [11] [12]. NBC and others reported that officials told them he would lose the commander title and return to El Centro, but DHS’s social-media rebuttal made clear the agency was managing optics while internal decisions were being finalized [3] [4].
5. How he “lost” the job — interpretation and limits of the public record
Taken together, reporting shows Bovino lost the operational role he had been using to lead interior arrests — effectively removed from the commander-at-large position in Minnesota — after the Pretti shooting, his public statements defending agents, and mounting bipartisan political pressure, with Tom Homan named to take over day-to-day control [1] [3] [2]. However, DHS’s public denial complicates a definitive legal or bureaucratic characterization: sources describe a de-facto demotion or reassignment rather than a formally announced firing, and available reporting does not provide a publicly released personnel order or official agency memo confirming the exact administrative action [4] [5].