January 26, 2026, 10:42 p.m. UTC
Gregory Bovino, a public face of Trump’s immigration crackdown, will leave Tuesday, while some agents plan to leave this week, sources told NBC News.
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday, a White House official and another Trump administration official familiar with the decision told NBC News.
The administration official and a law enforcement official said U.S. Customs and Border Protection also plans to reduce the number of agents in Minneapolis this week. The size of the reduction is still under discussion, they said.
Bovino had become the public face of the Department of Homeland Security’s operation in Minneapolis, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge.” CNN first reportedhe learned of his departure.
THE the decision comes after weeks of tense meetings between immigration agents and protesters and the shooting deaths by Homeland Security agents of two Americans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz spoke by phone Monday, a call both men welcomed. Walz said in a statement that Trump would consider reducing the number of federal agents in Minneapolis.
Trump also said Monday that his border “czar,” Tom Homan, would visit Minnesota this week. While Bovino will continue to lead the Border Patrol, Homan will become the primary point of contact on the ground, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Leavitt downplayed any friction between senior administration officials when asked if the change in leadership meant Trump was unhappy with how the the shooting of Pretti had been managed.
“Mr. Homan is doing an exceptional job and has worked with Secretary [Kristi] Noem and President Trump over the last year,” she said. “Secretary Noem continues to have the utmost confidence of the President of the United States.”
