Controversial Remarks During Immigration Discussion
Gregory Bovino, serving as Commander-at-Large for U.S. Border Patrol, allegedly made disparaging comments about the Jewish faith of Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen during a January 12 phone call focused on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. Insiders reveal that Bovino sarcastically referred to Jewish people as the ‘chosen people’ while addressing Rosen, who is an Orthodox Jew observing Shabbat.
Bovino reportedly questioned whether Rosen understood that Orthodox Jewish criminals do not take weekends off, highlighting frustration over unavailable contact during Shabbat. Although Rosen delegated the discussion to a deputy, members of his office participated in the call. Bovino pressed for stricter charges against demonstrators accused of interfering with immigration operations.
Rosen’s Background and Motivations
Rosen, nominated by President Donald Trump, has openly discussed his Orthodox Jewish practices as a gradual transition in his early adulthood, including daily Talmud study. He previously stated that the ‘rapid escalation of violent antisemitism in America’ motivates his public service. In an interview with Jewish Insider, Rosen explained, ‘Jewish history tells us that Jews fare poorly in societies that turn polarized, and where that polarization evolves into factional hatreds in the non-Jewish societies within which we live.’ He added that such hatreds often lead to violent expressions against Jews.
Context of Immigration Enforcement and Tragedies
Bovino emerged as a key figure in the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, facing significant backlash following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37. Good, a mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7 in Minneapolis after reportedly refusing to open her car door during a demonstration. Bovino described Good’s actions, alongside her wife Rebecca, as providing ‘means, intent, and opportunity,’ labeling her vehicle a ‘four-thousand pound missile’ aimed at Ross. He praised the agent, saying, ‘Hats off to that ICE agent. I’m glad he made it out alive, I’m glad he’s with his family.’
Pretti, an ICU nurse, died in a related incident, prompting Bovino to claim law enforcement were the true victims. He asserted that Pretti ‘put himself in that situation’ and had planned to ‘massacre’ federal agents. These statements drew sharp criticism from Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who compared Bovino’s rhetoric to ‘as if [he] literally went on eBay and purchased SS garb,’ referencing Adolf Hitler’s Schutzstaffel.
The day after the call, six federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s office in protest over the Department of Justice’s handling of Good’s death.
Leadership Changes and Official Responses
President Trump reassigned Bovino from Minneapolis this week, appointing border czar Tom Homan as replacement. Homan noted, ‘President Trump and I, along with others in the administration, have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made.’ Initial reports of Bovino’s firing were refuted by Department of Homeland Security assistant press secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who described him as a ‘key part of the President’s team and a great American.’
McLaughlin did not directly address the allegations, instead urging focus on ‘victims of illegal alien crime or the criminals taken out of Minneapolis communities.’
