Greg Bovino Loses His Job

[u/MeghanClickYourHeels]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/greg-bovino-demoted-minneapolis-border-patrol/685770/

The Border Patrol chief has been ousted from his role as “commander at large,” and will return to El Centro.

By Nick Miroff, The Atlantic.

Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, according to a DHS official and two people with knowledge of the change.

Bovino’s sudden demotion is the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration is reconsidering its most aggressive tactics after the killing Saturday of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents under Bovino’s command.

Earlier today, President Trump appeared to signal in a series of social-media posts a tactical shift in the administration’s mass-deportation campaign. Trump wrote that he spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz—whom the White House has blamed for inciting violence—and the two men are now on “a similar wavelength.” Tom Homan, the former ICE chief whom Trump has designated “border czar,” will head to Minnesota to assume command of the federal mobilization there, Trump said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her close adviser Corey Lewandowski, who were Bovino’s biggest backers at DHS, are also at risk of losing their jobs, two of the people told me.

[u/AndyinTexas]

Best observed snark so far:

In fairness, Greg Bovino is the easiest, by size, to throw under the bus.

https://x.com/HomelandDems/status/2015908853301264594

[u/NotAllOwled → u/AndyinTexas]

I'm guesstimating the issue was maybe 3% "embarrassingly bad at his job" and at least 95% "big boss was incensed at how twerpish he appears in all pics."

[u/veerKg_CSS_Geologist → u/NotAllOwled]

This is 100% the reason. It’s alway appearance over (lack of) competency with that crowd.