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The Department of Homeland Security is currently conducting an internal investigation concerning Gregory Bovino following allegations of his antisemitic remarks directed at U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, who is based in Minnesota.
Bovino, who previously served as the public face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, reportedly made a phone call to federal prosecutors in January. During this call, he allegedly complained about Rosen’s unavailability over the weekend, attributing it to Rosen’s observance of Shabbat, according to a report by the New York Times on Tuesday.
During the conversation, Bovino is accused of making a derogatory reference to Rosen, who practices Orthodox Judaism, by using the term “chosen people.”
Shabbat is a sacred 25-hour period of rest in Judaism, starting at sundown on Friday, during which many practitioners refrain from using electronic devices, among other activities.
In the phone call, Bovino is accused of using the words “chosen people” in referring to Rosen, who is an Orthodox Jew.
Shabbat is a 25-hour period of rest that begins at sundown Friday and often includes refraining from using electronic devices.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed the agency has opened an internal inquiry “to determine the full story” after it received a letter from an unnamed congressman inquiring about reporting on anonymous allegations involving Bovino.
“This is standard procedure and does not indicate any confirmation of wrongdoing,” the spokesperson said.
Messages left by for both Rosen’s office in Minnesota and Bovino were not immediately returned.
Bovino was Trump administration’s face of federal immigration enforcement push
Bovino oversaw the federal government’s immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis known as “Immigration Metro Surge.” He previously also led enforcement operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte in New Orleans.
Bovino was stripped of his commander-at-large title in late January, two days after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, who was shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. Bovino was also overseeing the operation when Renee Good was also fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent.
Bovino remains with the U.S. Border Patrol as the chief of the El Centro, Calif., sector. DHS officials did not respond to a question about whether Bovino will remain on active duty during the investigation.
White House border czar Tom Homan replaced Bovino as the face of the Minneapolis operation and told reporters that his presence in Minneapolis was not a reflection that anyone had previously done anything wrong.
Bovino previously told that federal immigration agents should be held to a high standard because Border Patrol is a “high-performing organization.” Bovino has been the target of officials in Minnesota and Illinois over his use of tear gas against protesters demonstrating against the presence of federal immigration agents.
Customs and Border Protection raised concerns over Bovino comments
The New York Times report said that John Breckendridge, an investigator with the U.S Customs and Border Protection’s office of professional responsibility told the newspaper that he has opened an official inquiry into the allegation that Bovino had made “unprofessional comments” linked to the January phone call with federal prosecutors.
During the phone call, Bovino allegedly asked jokingly whether Rosen the U.S. Attorney in Minnesota understood that Orthodox Jewish criminals don’t take weekends off. Rosen had reportedly had a deputy U.S. attorney participate on the call, The New York Times previously reported.
Rosen declined to specify whether his inquiry into Bovino extended beyond the alleged comments made during the phone call. The DHS response to did not mention the phone call itself.
Minnesota prosecutor launches investigation into Bovino “misconduct”
This week, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced a probe into Bovino’s actions during the Minneapolis that she said could lead to federal charges.
Moriarty said in a news conference that her office is already looking into 17 cases, including one where Bovino threw a smoke canister at protesters on Jan. 21. Another on Jan. 7 involved federal officers making an arrest outside a high school and deploying chemical irritants while students and staff were in the area.
“Make no mistake, we are not afraid of the legal fight, and we are committed to doing this correctly,” Moriarty said in the news conference. “Operation Metro Surge caused immeasurable harm to our community.”
On Tuesday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended the actions of federal immigration agents during testimony during a Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill. Some Democrats have called for Noem to resign over her handling of immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump took office in 2025.
In a response to Moriarty’s allegations, the Department of Homeland Security said that state officials cannot seek criminal charges against federal agents.
“What these States are trying to do is unlawful, and they know it,” a DHS spokesperson said in a released statement. “Federal officials acting in the course of their duties are immune from liability under state law.”
Jeff Arnold is an enterprise reporter for Digital covering immigration issues from the border to cities across the country. Send him story ideas at tips.newsnationdigital@gmail.com.