Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is reportedly preparing to leave Minnesota as the Trump admin moves to contain the chaos following a deadly agent-involved shooting that has rocked Minneapolis and ignited a national firestorm over immigration enforcement.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Bovino will depart the state along with a contingent of Border Patrol troops. The move comes as President Donald Trump weighs a full pullout of Border Patrol from Minnesota, contingent on whether state leaders finally agree to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead of obstructing it.
Trump has made his position clear: if Minnesota cooperates with ICE, Border Patrol won’t be needed. If it doesn’t, the federal government will not continue propping up local leaders who refuse to enforce the law while their cities spiral.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid out the administration’s position on Monday, emphasizing that Minnesota’s leadership is the problem—not federal enforcement.
“If Governor [Tim Walz] and Mayor [Jacob Frey] implement these common sense cooperative measures that, I will add, have already been implemented in nearly every single other state across the country, Customs and Border Patrol will not be needed to support ICE on the ground in Minnesota,” Leavitt stated.
“ICE and local law enforcement can peacefully work together as they are effectively doing in so many other states and jurisdictions.”
The backdrop to this standoff is a pair of deadly encounters tied to immigration enforcement that have sent tensions in Minneapolis through the roof.
As Bovino exits Minnesota, the White House is sending in a heavy hitter. Border czar Tom Homan is traveling to the state to take charge of talks between federal authorities and state and local leaders who have so far resisted cooperation.
Leavitt confirmed Homan’s role, making clear that restoring order is the priority.
“Mr. Homan is the point-person in cooperating with state and local authorities and corresponding with them, again, to achieve this level of cooperation to subdue the chaos on the streets of Minneapolis,” she stated.
President Trump has personally stepped in, holding phone calls Monday with both Governor Walz and Mayor Frey.
According to Trump, the conversations were productive, a notable shift after weeks of public sparring and finger-pointing.
At its core, the situation in Minnesota exposes the consequences of years of sanctuary-style policies that elevate political posturing over public safety.
When state and city leaders treat federal law enforcement as the enemy, the result is confusion on the ground and danger for everyone involved.
The Trump administration is drawing a clear line: cooperation brings stability, while obstruction brings consequences.
With Border Patrol already packing up and Tom Homan stepping in, Minnesota’s leaders now face a choice they’ve long avoided—work with federal authorities or own the disorder that follows.
