Watch: Four Shocking Months With Gregory Bovino

The Border Patrol “commander at large” leaves behind a legacy of fear and violence.

Gregory Bovino points. He and his entourage of federal agents are wearing helmets.

Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino in Broadview, Illinois, October 3, 2025Amanda Moore

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You have “nothing to fear if you’re an American citizen. If you’re not an American citizen, then look out.”

That’s what Border Patrol “Commander at Large” Gregory Bovino said in December, as he and his entourage of masked agents patrolled a residential neighborhood in Kenner, Louisiana, a diverse suburb of New Orleans. Asked by a reporter whether that threat applied to “legal residents,” too, Bovino attempted to clarify. “We’re friends with all legal residents,” he insisted.

The exchange was captured by journalist Amanda Moore, who has spent months documenting the activities of the Border Patrol, ICE, and an alphabet soup of federal law enforcement outfits. Amanda’s videos are intense and often violent; they show disturbing levels of aggression from the heavily armed government agents that President Donald Trump has unleashed on American cities. She’s followed Bovino particular closely, tracking him across the heartland from Chicago to Louisiana to Minneapolis.

Amanda’s footage makes clear that everyone in these communities—undocumented immigrants, residents with legal status, American citizens—have quite a bit to fear from Trump’s immigration crackdown. Following the horrific killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota, Bovino was reassigned away from his leadership role in the operation. But as Amanda notes, the violent culture and widespread fear he helped create won’t be so easily removed.

Please take a few minutes to watch Amanda’s report on Bovino’s legacy.

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We’ll say it loud and clear: No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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