DHS Investigates Border Patrol Commander for Alleged Antisemitic Remarks

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has opened an internal investigation into Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol commander, following reports that he made disparaging remarks about the Jewish faith of Minnesota's top federal prosecutor during an immigration operation in the state.

According to several people with knowledge of the call, Bovino complained in a January phone call that U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen was hard to reach over the weekend because he observes Shabbat, a 25-hour period of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall. Bovino allegedly used the term 'chosen people' in a derisive tone and asked sarcastically whether Orthodox Jewish criminals refrained from breaking the law during the weekend.

The New York Times first reported on the call, based on accounts from people who spoke anonymously about the sensitive conversation. CBS News later confirmed key details of the conversation. John Breckenridge, an investigator with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s office of professional responsibility, opened an 'official inquiry into the allegation' that Bovino made 'unprofessional comments.'

A DHS spokesperson stated that the inquiry was initiated after a member of Congress sent a letter about anonymous allegations, emphasizing that such inquiries are standard procedure and do not indicate any confirmation of wrongdoing. Rosen, who has previously spoken out against antisemitism, declined to comment on the investigation.

Separately, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that her office is actively investigating Bovino's behavior during a confrontation with protesters near a Minneapolis park on January 21. The investigation includes examining an incident where Bovino was captured on video warning protesters about tear gas before lobbing a canister toward them.

Bovino was the public face of the Trump administration’s large-scale immigration crackdown, leading operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minnesota. He was removed from his role after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens within weeks of each other during operations in Minneapolis. The DHS has stated that states cannot prosecute federal officers for actions taken in the course of their duties.