Gregory Bovino, the former Border Patrol commander known for spearheading immigration enforcement initiatives during the Trump administration in Minneapolis and other metropolitan areas, was subjected to an internal investigation prior to his retirement. This inquiry was prompted by concerns regarding his court testimony and previous alleged antisemitic remarks, as revealed in documents obtained by CBS News last week.
On March 2, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notified Bovino via email that an official investigation into reported misconduct was underway. Just over two weeks later, on March 18, Bovino submitted his request for retirement.
The initial report of the investigation was published by the Chicago Tribune.
CBS News has reached out to both CBP and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for statements regarding the situation.
A spokesperson for CBP stated to CBS News, “DHS does not provide comments on personnel matters concerning individuals who are no longer with the agency.” The spokesperson further clarified that Bovino voluntarily retired and that CBP does not have the authority to offer security for retired employees.
Although federal privacy regulations limit the release of certain personnel information, there is no comprehensive law or publicly accessible DHS policy that prevents comments about former employees.
Bovino, who had a long tenure with the Border Patrol, became a prominent figure in the Trump administration’s contentious immigration policies in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and finally Minneapolis.
His role as “commander-at-large” ended in late January following the police-involved fatalities of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The incidents and the reactions from Bovino and other officials led to significant political criticism.
Following Pretti’s death, Bovino made unsubstantiated claims suggesting that Pretti intended to carry out a “massacre” of federal agents.
The Border Patrol had already been scrutinized for its aggressive enforcement strategies. A lawsuit filed in Fall 2025 by the Chicago Headline Club and other organizations accused the agency of employing “unnecessarily brutal enforcement of immigration laws,” including the use of tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets against journalists and demonstrators. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction that restricted the use of force and accused Bovino of providing false testimony regarding altercations with agents.
“Most notably, Bovino acknowledged in his deposition that he had lied on multiple occasions about the events in Little Village that led to his deployment of tear gas against protesters,” Judge Ellis noted in her findings.
The March letter from CBP addressed these issues, posing several inquiries to Bovino, such as, “Do you agree that District Judge Ellis’ findings regarding your credibility would need to be disclosed if you were called to testify in court?” The investigator further inquired about the implications of a federal judge deeming a Border Patrol agent’s testimony as lacking credibility. This line of questioning suggested that CBP was assessing potential ramifications of Judge Ellis’ findings on Bovino’s future, beyond the immediate case.
While the Seventh Circuit later vacated Ellis’ preliminary injunction, it did not rule on the accuracy of her credibility assessments regarding Bovino.
Additionally, Bovino was questioned about alleged antisemitic remarks. Rather than general inquiries, the investigator directly addressed a specific statement attributed to him: “Did you say something along the lines of ‘Do Orthodox criminals also take off Saturday?’” The investigator also asked for clarification on the meaning behind this comment.
According to The New York Times, Bovino was reportedly informed that he was under investigation for making derogatory comments about a Minneapolis judge who observed the Sabbath.
In the documents from CBP, Bovino was further questioned about a remark concerning “chosen people,” seemingly referencing Jewish individuals.
Bovino was asked whether his testimony and these comments breached the CBP Code of Conduct. Section 7.7.2 mandates that “employees will be professional in their interactions with supervisors, subordinates, coworkers, and members of the public,” while Section 7.7.11 prohibits “abusive, derisive, profane, or harassing statements or gestures, or any other conduct reflecting hatred or bias against another person or group based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability.”
