ANKARA 

The Trump administration on Tuesday denied reports that Gregory Bovino was removed from his role as commander at large for the US Border Patrol.

“Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security, said on US social media platform X. She added that Bovino remains “a key part” of President Donald Trump’s team and described him as “a great American.”

The Atlantic magazine reported Monday that Bovino had been relieved of his duties following the latest fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

“Bovino has been the public face of a traveling immigration crackdown on cities governed by Democrats,” the magazine reported, adding that his alleged removal signaled the administration may be reconsidering its most aggressive tactics.

Earlier Monday, Trump said he was dispatching border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota as tensions escalated. The White House said Homan will oversee ICE operations on the ground in the state “to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”

Police detain more protesters

Meanwhile, police detained protesters who gathered Monday outside a hotel in Maple Grove believed to be hosting Bovino and ICE officers.

The Maple Grove Police Department said it respects the right to peaceful protest but added that public safety is its primary concern.

Officials said once the gathering turned violent, those involved in criminal activity were no longer protected under the First Amendment and were subject to arrest.

Tensions have escalated in Minnesota following the deaths of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a mother of three, and Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse, who were fatally shot in separate incidents involving ICE agents in Minneapolis this month.

Good was killed on Jan. 7 while near a protest site. Less than three weeks later, Pretti was shot amid a protest.

The US Department of Homeland Security has said both individuals posed a threat to agents, a claim disputed by politicians, journalists and civil rights groups citing video footage from the scene.

The back-to-back deaths have triggered protests across Minnesota and elsewhere in the US, with demonstrators demanding accountability, transparency and independent investigations into federal immigration enforcement actions.