Minneapolis, Minnesota — A recently demoted Border Patrol official is facing new scrutiny after reports that he made mocking remarks about the Jewish faith of Minnesota’s U.S. attorney during a phone call with state prosecutors earlier this month.
Gregory Bovino, a senior figure in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, used sarcastic language referencing Shabbat and the phrase “chosen people” while speaking with prosecutors on Jan. 12. The call followed Bovino’s request for a meeting with U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, whom he wanted to pressure into taking a tougher stance against individuals Bovino believed were obstructing federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.
Rosen declined to participate directly in the call, delegating it to a deputy. During the conversation, Bovino reportedly complained that Rosen had been difficult to reach over the weekend because he was observing Shabbat, a central Jewish religious practice marking a weekly day of rest. Multiple prosecutors were reportedly on the call at the time.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, nor Rosen’s office immediately commented on the allegations. The Guardian reported that Bovino, 55, had become one of the most visible faces of the administration’s immigration crackdown, particularly in Democratic-led cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
Bovino’s remarks surfaced after weeks of controversy surrounding his role in Minneapolis, where Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, during an immigration enforcement confrontation. Video recorded by witnesses appeared to contradict initial federal claims that Pretti posed an armed threat. Protests followed, as did Bovino’s removal from the Minneapolis operation and demotion from his national role.
Federal officials later shifted their public stance on the incident, while DHS placed Trump border czar Tom Homan in charge of the Minnesota enforcement effort.
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