Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander who became the public face of the controversial immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, is reportedly being removed from the city following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
Minnesota has seen weeks of rising tension as ICE agents conducted aggressive immigration operations, sparking protests and clashes. These confrontations have led to multiple violent incidents, including Pretti’s killing and the earlier fatal shooting of Renee Good on January 7.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was pepper-sprayed, restrained, and later shot by Border Patrol agents. Officials initially suggested he posed a threat, but video evidence showed he was holding a phone, not a weapon, and had been disarmed before being shot.
According to Reuters, a senior Trump administration official said Bovino has lost his special “commander at large” title and will return to his former post in California, along with some agents. Bovino had publicly defended the agents involved, echoing administration claims that Pretti intended to harm law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security denied that Bovino was demoted, saying he remains in his role, though CNN reports his access to social media has been suspended. President Trump has since sent “border tsar” Tom Homan to oversee immigration operations in Minnesota and said the administration will review the shooting.
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