U.S. Customs and Border Protection official Gregory Bovino, who led federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota until this week, spread a fake story from a QAnon-linked social media account just hours before the Trump administration reassigned him, according to reports about his social media activity and the original account.
Bovino, 55, served as Border Patrol “commander-at-large” and became a prominent figure in the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. On January 25, he interacted on X with a post claiming that musician Ted Nugent had pledged $100,000 to help feed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota. This claim came from “America’s Last Line of Defense,” a Facebook page known for publishing conservative satire with a watermark stating, “Nothing on this page is real.”
The satirical post included a supposed Nugent quote linked to a Fox News interview that never occurred, according to the Daily Beast. Bovino’s interaction led to a Community Note on X that identified the post as satire and referenced the parody page’s disclaimer.
This social media mistake occurred as Bovino’s role in Minnesota received significant scrutiny following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this month. The White House also sent Tom Homan, described by the administration as its “border czar,” to oversee the Minnesota operation.
Bovino defended the January 7 shooting death of Renee Good by telling Fox News host Sean Hannity, “Hats off to that ICE agent.” After another shooting, he commented that the person killed appeared to want to “do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
Internal guidance reported that ICE issued new instructions in Minnesota telling officers to avoid engaging with “agitators” during operations and to focus on immigrants with criminal charges or convictions. The guidance also noted a reduced role for Border Patrol in the state, shifting it to a support function, according to Reuters.
Time reported that Homan mentioned some federal agents would be pulled from Minnesota, but immigration enforcement would continue. He criticized Bovino while discussing planned operational changes to improve safety.
The Los Angeles Times stated that Trump sent Homan to Minnesota, and Bovino was expected to leave the area. The Times said the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about Bovino’s future.
Immigration policy experts interviewed by the Times had varying opinions on whether the personnel change would affect enforcement results on the ground. Stanford law professor Lucas Guttentag told the Times, “I think it’s a grave mistake to think the change in personnel on the ground constitutes a change in policy.”
The incident added to questions inside and outside the agency about judgment and discipline at a moment when immigration enforcement in Minnesota remains under a national spotlight. Bovino has not publicly commented on the fake post or his removal from the commander-at-large role, and the Department of Homeland Security has not said whether any internal review was opened over the episode.
The administration has said enforcement operations will continue under new leadership as federal authorities adjust tactics following recent shootings and public backlash.
