Trump Reorders Crackdown Team as Bovino’s Minnesota Role Nears End
Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official overseeing President Trump’s immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, is expected to be reassigned from the city, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The move comes days after Bovino publicly claimed—without evidence—that a man fatally shot by federal agents had been preparing to carry out a mass attack on law enforcement. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Monday that some federal agents are also expected to begin withdrawing from the city as early as Tuesday, following a phone conversation with President Trump. No further details were provided.
The killing of Alex Pretti has placed the Trump administration under intense scrutiny, drawing criticism not only from Democrats but also from some of the president’s strongest supporters. In response, Trump announced Monday that his border czar, Tom Homan, would travel to Minnesota to take direct control of immigration operations in the state and report personally to the president.
After two days of backlash over the shooting and the administration’s handling of the aftermath, Trump appeared to soften his approach. He described a phone call with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as constructive, saying the two were aligned on several issues despite Trump previously blaming Walz for the incident. Trump said Homan would reach out to the governor to coordinate on handling individuals already in state custody.
Governor Walz’s office characterized the discussion as productive, noting that it included topics not mentioned in Trump’s public remarks. Those included calls for independent investigations into the deaths of Pretti and Renee Good—who was killed by a federal agent earlier this month—as well as the potential reduction of federal personnel deployed in Minnesota.
Despite the shift in tone, the White House continued to assign blame to state leadership. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Walz and other Democrats of responsibility for the shooting, even as she attempted to distance Trump from harsh characterizations of Pretti made by senior administration figures.
Trump also met privately Monday evening with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her adviser Corey Lewandowski, signaling internal concern about the political fallout. According to officials briefed on the meeting, no personnel changes were discussed, but the length and timing of the meeting underscored the administration’s unease over the response to Pretti’s death.
Meanwhile, legal challenges and investigations continue. Minnesota officials have asked a federal judge to block the destruction of evidence related to the shooting and to compel federal cooperation after local authorities were initially denied access to the scene. Separately, state and city leaders are seeking a court order to pause the deployment of thousands of immigration agents, raising questions about the scope and intent of the federal crackdown.
As videos of the shooting circulate, the administration’s portrayal of Pretti as a domestic extremist has been strongly disputed by his family and colleagues, who describe him as a dedicated ICU nurse known for his kindness and love of the outdoors.
