Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino is returning to El Centro, California, to resume his role as chief of that border sector, according to multiple sources familiar with the move. The commander-at-large position was a temporary assignment.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Monday that Bovino “has NOT been relieved of his duties,” calling him “a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”
The development comes as Bovino and several Border Patrol agents depart Minneapolis, just as Border Czar Tom Homan arrives in the city to take direct oversight of federal immigration enforcement operations.
President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is dispatching Homan to Minneapolis, bypassing the usual chain of command in which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Bovino had been overseeing ICE activities.
“He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
Noem and Chief Advisor Corey Lewandowski met with Trump for nearly two hours Monday, according to The New York Times. The report said the meeting took place at Noem’s request and that her position is not believed to be in jeopardy.
The leadership shift follows escalating tensions over the administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operation, which intensified after federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend.
