Former Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino criticized the Department of Homeland Security‘s response to the outbreak of protests at New Jersey‘s Delaney Hall immigration detention center on Thursday.The protests have turned violent, as anti-ICE protesters clash with law enforcement while the situation gains increasing media attention. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin posted on social media that “approximately 100 anti-ICE rioters” flooded the protests and “assaulted and threw objects at law enforcement” on Wednesday night. As tensions escalate, Bovino, who was demoted in early 2026 after immigration enforcement personnel killed two American citizens in Minneapolis under his tenure, called for a more violent crackdown.
“I don’t know who’s holding these guys back, but basic riot control starts with gas,” Bovino posted on social media. “This should’ve been over in 15 minutes. We’re now on day three. Secretary Mullin’s inaction is putting his own agents, the facility, and the detained aliens at risk. Hesitation isn’t compassion — it’s dangerous weakness.”
Bovino was known as a staunch hard-liner on immigration and border policies, overseeing the crackdown in Minnesota that brought backlash for the Trump administration and ultimately contributed to the shake-up at the DHS, transitioning to Mullin from former Secretary Kristi Noem. In late January, President Donald Trump called Bovino “a pretty out-there kind of a guy,” distancing himself from the former Border Patrol official.
