Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former post in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire, according to DHS officials and sources familiar with the decision.

Bovino’s reassignment comes in the wake of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, an incident that has drawn nationwide attention and raised questions about federal enforcement tactics. Sources say the move signals the Trump administration may be reassessing some of its most aggressive immigration strategies.

Exclusive: Border Patrol “Commander at Large” Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role and is expected to retire soon, sources tell Nick Miroff. https://t.co/JqmLqCFMiy

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) January 26, 2026

For the past seven months, Bovino had been the face of the administration’s traveling crackdown on cities with Democratic leadership, visiting Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Minneapolis. In that role, he often operated outside the standard agency chain of command, traveling with a personal film crew and using social media to publicly defend agents while attacking critics, including Democratic politicians. While this approach made him a recognizable figure for Trump’s immigration agenda, veteran ICE and CBP officials reportedly grew uneasy with his political-style tactics.

In Minneapolis, Bovino became the administration’s lead spokesperson following Pretti’s death, holding daily press briefings in which he defended the Border Patrol’s actions and repeatedly claimed that agents—not Pretti—were the victims. Videos of the encounter, however, show Pretti, a licensed concealed-carry gun owner and intensive-care nurse, holding a phone and attempting to help others, with no evidence that he drew a weapon or attacked the agents. One video shows an agent disarming Pretti moments before another agent shot him in the back.

Earlier today, President Trump signaled a tactical shift in the administration’s enforcement approach. In social-media posts, he said he had spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz—previously blamed by the White House for inciting unrest—and that the two were now on a “similar wavelength.” Trump also announced that former ICE chief Tom Homan, designated as the administration’s “border czar,” would take over federal operations in Minnesota.

Sources indicated that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her adviser Corey Lewandowski, Bovino’s strongest supporters, may also face changes as the administration reevaluates its strategy. A White House spokesperson referred inquiries about Bovino and Noem to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who affirmed that Noem has the president’s “utmost confidence and trust.”

Trump also noted he had spoken with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, writing, “Lots of progress is being made! Tom Homan will be meeting with him tomorrow in order to continue the discussion.”

Bovino’s departure marks a major personnel shift in Trump’s immigration enforcement team, coming just two days after the Pretti shooting, and reflects the administration’s reassessment of its public messaging and operational tactics in the wake of intense national scrutiny.