The departure of Greg Bovino has not quelled ICE’s raids – and hope that tensions are easing feels distant
I
n the days after the killing of 37‑year‑old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, signs emerged that the Trump administration understood how quickly anger at federal immigration agents could ignite across Minnesota and the nation.
Early in the week, the president touted “very good” phone calls with Minnesota governor Tim Walz – whom Trump routinely disparages – and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.
By Tuesday, Gregory Bovino – the senior border patrol official initially tasked with running the immigration crackdown in Minnesota – was replaced by Trump’s so‑called “border czar,” Tom Homan. Homan, who served as acting director of ICE during Trump’s first administration, and as a senior official of removal operations under Barack Obama, also had meetings with Walz and Frey to discuss the federal immigration operation. “While we don’t agree on everything, these meetings were a productive starting point and I look forward to more conversations with key stakeholders in the days ahead,” he wrote on X.
