How Gregory Bovino became the face of Trump’s immigration crackdown

By Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

(CNN) — A year ago, few Americans knew Gregory Bovino’s name. Now he’s the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

And everything from the Border Patrol commander-at-large’s tactics in the field to his wardrobe choices have become lightning rods in a storm with no end in sight.

On the streets of multiple American cities, Bovino – sporting a buzzcut and the Border Patrol’s olive green uniform – has been spotted leading patrols, hurling tear gas canisters and verbally sparring with critics. He often stands out among groups of federal officers as one of the few people not wearing a mask.

On social media, he’s known for sharing photos and cinematic videos that tout Border Patrol agents’ determination to carry out their mission.

And now, his presence at the podium and on screens around the world is becoming more common as he delivers briefings from Minneapolis.

That’s where Bovino stood hours after a Border Patrol officer shot and killed a man in that city Saturday, telling reporters that officers had followed their training when faced with an armed suspect who “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Critics quickly slammed Bovino’s statement and others from Homeland Security officials, arguing that videos of the shooting show no evidence the man was trying to harm anyone.

But Bovino doubled down on his defense of officers Sunday.

“The fact that they’re highly trained prevented any specific shootings of law enforcement, so good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that,” Bovino told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Pressed to provide evidence, Bovino said more details would emerge as authorities investigate and argued that the man was trying to impede officers.

“It’s too bad the consequences had to be paid because he injected himself into that crime scene. I can’t say that enough. He made the decision to go there,” Bovino said.

The Border Patrol official’s account drew sharp criticism Sunday morning from Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy.

“Everybody saw that video, and yet there he was telling you and telling the American public that this young man was brandishing a weapon, that he was impeding officers, that he was there to attend a riot, that he was engaged in assault, when everyone can see that that’s not true,” Murphy told CNN. “It should freak the American public out that the Trump administration lies this easily, will lie to your face when you can see the evidence for yourself.”

Bovino is no stranger to criticisms of his approach. For months in interviews, court testimony and social media posts, he’s repeatedly defended federal officers’ actions and vowed not to back down.

How Bovino describes his officers’ tactics

In multiple social media posts and interviews, Bovino has repeatedly used a phrase to describe his officers’ tactics.

“He calls them ‘turn and burn,’” CNN contributor Lulu Garcia-Navarro says. “They’re very rapid. They’re very aggressive. Break windows, go in, grab people. And the reason he says that he does these tactics is to not put …agents at risk, not to allow protests to develop.”

Supporters of the administration’s aggressive mass deportation push see Bovino as a hero. But the forceful, unapologetic approach that’s fueled his recent rise to prominence has also drawn fierce criticism from local leaders and protesters in cities his team is targeting.

Officials in several cities have described Bovino as leading a law enforcement agency which deploys tactics that are frighteningly authoritarian and used by the president as a cudgel against Democrat-led communities and the people — citizens and noncitizens alike — who live in them.

“They want mayhem on the ground,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told CNN in October, accusing Bovino and other federal officials of deliberately inflaming tensions. “They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops.”

Heavy-handed tactics, including immigration sweeps in parking lots and smashing car windows, have fueled alarm, including among some in the Trump administration, while also garnering praise from senior Homeland Security officials.

Asked about the aggressive approach that has spurred growing criticism and protests, Bovino has defended his officers.

“You know, folks are free to criticize. They’re free to armchair quarterback. When they don’t walk a mile in the shoes of law enforcement, then they might want to think a second before full-blown criticism. I’ve heard a lot of that,” he told CNN in October. “Our officers act legally, ethically and morally in all law enforcement actions.”

On Sunday, Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the latest shooting in Minneapolis should spur lawmakers to press for reforms within the Department of Homeland Security before approving its budget.

“People being killed simply for exercising their First Amendment rights is going to be a regular feature in this country. That is dystopian. We shouldn’t allow for it, and that should unite Republicans and Democrats in Congress, because it’s increasingly uniting Republicans and Democrats all around the country who are turning against this just unbelievably lawless way that Bovino and his team are operating in our cities,” he said.

He’s led high-profile operations in several cities

Bovino’s presence in different cities across the country in recent months has become an unofficial barometer of how intense immigration enforcement is expected to get.

These days, Bovino is a frequent sight on the streets of Minneapolis – bringing what he calls the “Mean Green Team” thousands of miles from the sector along the US-Mexico border where he was stationed before.

“The #MeanGreen is patrolling Minneapolis through the cold, through the snow, and through it all arresting illegal aliens until the mission is accomplished,” Bovino posted Friday on X. “We’re here and we’re making the city safe.”

Originally from North Carolina, Bovino joined the Border Patrol in 1996. His 30-year career has taken him from Washington to New Orleans as well as foreign postings in Honduras and Africa. In 2020 he was named Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector of Southern California.

In 2023, Bovino was briefly relieved of command from his position in what House Republicans described as a retaliatory measure after he testified critically about conditions along the border under President Joe Biden’s administration. The Associated Press reported other factors were also at play – including his social-media presence and an online profile picture of him posing with an assault rifle.

He began drawing public attention last summer, when he helped orchestrate the arrests of more than 5,000 immigrants in a Los Angeles operation. Since then, Bovino – who’s in his mid-fifties – has led sweeps in Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans and, now, Minneapolis.

Bovino’s conduct during the Chicago operation drew stern rebukes from a federal judge, who ruled that his descriptions of events weren’t supported by video evidence.

In one video, cited in a federal court case alleging excessive force against protesters in Chicago, the judge ruled that Bovino “obviously tackles” a protester on camera. But in his deposition, Bovino denied he tackled the man. “I’m imploring (him)…to comply with leaving the area to comply with instructions,” Bovino said, adding, “the use of force was against me.”

One recent target of Bovino’s critics: his coat

Lately, another aspect of Bovino’s image is also drawing attention: the long green trench coach he sometimes wears.

“Greg Bovino dressed up as if he literally went on eBay and purchased SS garb. Greg Bovino, secret police, private army, masked men, people disappearing quite literally, no due process,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said recently, drawing a comparison to Nazi uniforms.

Bovino says he’s had the jacket for more than 25 years, and got it from the Border Patrol.

“I bought that as a young agent, approximately 1999,” he told News Nation, noting that he was also photographed wearing it for a ceremony during the Biden administration.

That interview, Bovino wrote on social media, “cleared up any misconceptions and highlighted the double standard phenomenon.”

Whatever happens next, there’s little doubt we’ll be seeing more of Bovino – and his coat – on America’s streets.

Slickly produced videos and other social media posts from Bovino’s accounts have also drawn criticism. He says the posts are aimed at increasing transparency.

“This is not agenda-driven. Our social media is designed to give the public … a real-time snapshot of what is really happening,” Bovino told CNN in October.

Among his recent posts, Bovino shared a video clip of his response during a press briefing to a reporter who asked when the surge of federal law enforcement into Minneapolis will end.

“Is there a certain number of people you want to apprehend before you decide to ease the surge?” the reporter asked.

“There is a number,” Bovino said, “and it’s called all of them.”

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CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, Dianne Gallagher and Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.