Gregory Bovino, the head of his sector’s Border Patrol, had been under fire. He even lied about a deadly debacle with the Experimental Chicago run. The incident, which occurred in late October, has drawn significant attention due to Bovino’s prominent role as a spokesperson for the Trump administration’s immigration policies. His assertions that agents were shot at and verbally assaulted by a mob of rioters contradicted investigations and video footage.
Bovino, a regular on Fox News, has posed an image that’s become ideal for the administration’s Nuremberg mode when it comes to immigration enforcement. His statements regarding the alleged attacks against Border Patrol agents included assertions of “vehicular assaults, physical assaults, impeding, violent mobs, vehicular blockades,” which he alleged occurred during a confrontation with protesters. Chicago police swept the area where the incidents were reported. Despite the absence of evidence that gunfire erupted or that individuals were injured by firearms.
His credibility took a further blow when the situation escalated to Bovino allegedly getting hit upside the head with a rock during the scuffle. He admitted later that what he had said was false. Even before the alleged injury occurred, investigations disclosed that he’d thrown a canister of tear gas directly into the protesting crowd. This stunning admission left many questioning his credibility and the truthfulness of his previous claims.
A U.S. District Judge, Sara Ellis, criticized Bovino’s conduct, stating that he had lied about the events surrounding the incident. The judge used this opportunity to tell Bovino, in no uncertain terms, that what he did was wrong. He gassed the protesters without warning, violating her own prior temporary restraining order prohibiting the use of force by police in such circumstances. This decision has increased public examination into Bovino’s judgment and respect for constitutional procedure in police activity carried out in a military manner.
Bovino’s record of deceitful claims has been scrutinized, too. His June social media antics included sharing misinformation online. He argued that one of the first U.S. citizens charged with assault on a federal officer had come through an immigration enforcement “surge” operation. That claim was soon proven false, calling into question his credibility as the Border Patrol’s spokesperson.
New research based on records of a major immigration enforcement operation last January uncovered some striking data. Of the 78 people arrested, 77 didn’t have previous criminal histories with the agency. Even with this evidence, Bovino was left passionately defending the operation. He argued that the agents were operating off a “pre-determined list of targets,” which covered numerous people with alleged criminal backgrounds. Multiple advocacy groups and congressional leaders have fought back against this claim. They contend that these claims fail to accurately represent the demographics of the targeted people.
The fallout from this incident is indicative of a larger pushback against the increasingly heavy-handed and aggressive enforcement tactics that have developed in American immigration policy. Advocates for immigrant rights have denounced people like Bovino for their dangerous and dehumanizing rhetoric. In particular, they contend that this kind of language increases fear and mistrust in communities that are already susceptible to deportation and other punishment.