KEY POINTS
- Gregory Bovino’s Minneapolis deployment is ending as Tom Homan assumes operational leadership.
- Internal concerns grew over messaging and public handling after Alex Preti’s death.
- The move highlights broader tensions over federal immigration tactics in US cities
Senior US administration officials expect Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and several agents to depart Minneapolis on Tuesday, according to three sources.
As the White House reshapes its immigration enforcement response following the fatal shooting of a US citizen and mounting internal criticism.
The decision to pull Bovino from Minneapolis marks a notable adjustment in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement posture, coming after days of public backlash and behind the scenes disagreements.
While officials described the move as mutual, it underscores sensitivities around federal authority, public perception and interagency coordination at a volatile moment.
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan would be sent to Minneapolis to oversee immigration operations following the shooting death of Alex Preti.
The White House said Homan would lead on the ground, signaling a shift away from Bovino, who had become the most visible federal official in Minnesota.
According to sources familiar with internal discussions, senior aides were dissatisfied with how Bovino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the aftermath.
Trump spent hours reviewing media coverage on Sunday and Monday and was unhappy with how the administration’s response was portrayed, one official said. CNN reported that Noem remained in contact with the White House throughout Saturday.
Bovino drew additional scrutiny after suggesting Preti intended to “massacre” federal agents, a claim that fueled criticism from local officials and civil liberties groups.
His interviews and press appearances failed to calm tensions, sources said, prompting early conversations about his removal as soon as Sunday afternoon.
“This reflects an effort to regain message discipline after a crisis,” said Doris Meissner, former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute.
“Personnel changes are often used to signal a reset without formally admitting error.”
Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and a Harvard Kennedy School lecturer, said the episode shows how enforcement actions can escalate politically.
“When rhetoric outpaces evidence, it undermines public trust and complicates legitimate security operations,” she said.
- Nearly three decades of Border Patrol service for Bovino.
- Previous deployments in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans.
- Tom Homan previously led ICE from 2017 to 2018.
- Minneapolis operation followed a single fatal shooting.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said Monday that Homan would be the “on the ground contact on site in Minneapolis,” adding that Bovino would continue overseeing nationwide operations.
She distanced Trump from labeling Preti a “homegrown terrorist,” a term used earlier by Noem.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said federal actions should be “transparent and rooted in verified facts,” while declining to comment directly on Bovino’s departure.
Homan’s leadership is expected to centralize decision making and reduce public facing commentary as investigations continue. Officials emphasized that enforcement operations will proceed without interruption.
Bovino’s exit from Minneapolis illustrates the political and operational pressures surrounding federal immigration enforcement, highlighting how leadership choices and public messaging can shape national policy debates well beyond a single city.
Author’s Perspective
In my analysis, Gregory Bovino’s removal reflects a broader recalibration of federal immigration enforcement where optics, interagency discipline and local political friction now carry measurable policy risk.
From a strategic perspective, leadership changes are being used as damage control tools amid heightened scrutiny of federal use of force narratives.
I predict tighter White House controls over DHS public messaging and a formal shift toward centralized operational command in politically sensitive cities. For everyday residents, this directly affects trust in law enforcement visibility and response.
NOTE! This report was compiled from multiple reliable sources, including official statements, press releases, and verified media coverage.
