CBP History of Force and Training Gaps Raise Alarms as Bovino Leaves Command of Minnesota Immigration Crackdown
As Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is reassigned and border czar Tom Homan takes over federal operations in Minneapolis, the agency’s large deployment and tactics have come under intense scrutiny after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti — the second U.S. citizen killed in recent Minnesota federal actions — with bystander videos, local officials and DHS offering sharply conflicting accounts. Critics point to CBP’s documented history of excessive force and limited urban crowd‑control training amid a surge of protests, strikes and political condemnations, while DHS alleges agitators attacked agents, prompting calls for independent investigations and a pullback of the federal presence.
📌 Key Facts
- Federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex J. Pretti on Jan. 24 during a Border Patrol operation in Minneapolis; multiple bystander videos show him holding a cellphone, being tackled and shot while on the ground, and do not clearly support DHS/CBP claims that he brandished a gun.
- DHS, CBP commander Gregory Bovino and senior White House aides publicly characterized Pretti as approaching agents with a 9mm handgun and framed the incident as a potential 'domestic terrorism' attack; local officials (Gov. Tim Walz, MPD Chief Brian O’Hara, Mayor Jacob Frey), Pretti’s family and others publicly disputed that narrative.
- The killing intensified protests and local disruption across Minneapolis–St. Paul — including a coordinated general strike, marches, clergy sit-ins at the airport, business closures and on-the-street clashes — and DHS also alleged protesters followed and harassed agents at gas stations.
- Reporting documents CBP use of crowd-control measures in Minneapolis (pepper spray/chemical irritants, pepper balls, tear gas, flash‑bangs) and shows bystanders and local police describing 'questionable' or escalatory tactics; experts say CBP’s training and culture are poorly matched to urban crowd control and that the agency has a history of excessive‑force incidents.
- The shooting produced sharp political fallout: Democrats and some Republicans demanded independent investigations, suspensions and a reduction or removal of ICE/CBP operations in Minnesota; administration officials and GOP allies defended the agents, while legal teams sought court orders to halt parts of the federal operation and to preserve evidence.
- In response to mounting backlash, Gregory Bovino was reassigned off on‑the‑ground oversight in Minneapolis (returning to his previous sector) and President Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to take charge of federal operations there, with officials saying the overall number of deployed officers will be reduced.
- Background reporting highlights Bovino’s aggressive, 'norm‑breaking' tactics used in other city sweeps (including window‑smashing, door breaching and helicopter rappelling), notes a past judicial rebuke, and cites an internal ICE memo expanding entry authority — context that critics say reflects broader policy and training issues in CBP/ICE.
- Unions and federal, state and local authorities stressed that key details remain unconfirmed (including who fired the shots and the provenance of a recovered pistol); Hennepin County and others raised concerns about crime‑scene preservation, and there are ongoing calls for a full, independent joint state‑federal investigation as Congress and officials consider DHS/ICE funding and oversight.
📰 Source Timeline (27)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 28, 2026
10:01 AM
CBP has a history of excessive force. Critics say they were unprepared for Minnesota
New information:
- Sociologist Irene Vega, who interviewed more than 90 CBP officers, says agents see themselves as desert enforcers used to compliant groups and lack experience with urban crowd control, making their skills a 'complete mismatch' for Twin Cities policing needs.
- Vega recounts CBP officers describing border conditions where they cannot take cover and must 'do what I have to do,' illustrating a mindset shaped by isolated desert encounters rather than dense city environments.
- The article revisits a 2013 external review that found 'too many' CBP rock‑throwing shootings failed the 'objective reasonableness' test and that agents sometimes put themselves in harm’s way, leading to 2014 handbook changes requiring less‑lethal tools like pepper spray.
- NPR reports that CBP is now heavily relying on pepper spray and other chemical irritants against Minneapolis protesters and bystanders, with expert Leon Taylor arguing that officers appear to be escalating, not de‑escalating, and neglecting a 'duty of care' toward people they incapacitate.
- Retired FLETC instructor David 'Kawika' Lau says that despite post‑2013 reforms, CBP’s culture and training still leave agents ill‑prepared for large, volatile urban protests, especially under political messages from senior officials emphasizing 'immunity' rather than responsibility.
January 27, 2026
6:17 PM
What to know about Gregory Bovino and his role in Trump's immigration crackdown
New information:
- Profiles Gregory Bovino as the administration’s 'go‑to architect' and public face for city‑by‑city mass immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans and now Minneapolis.
- Details specific 'norm‑breaking' tactics he champions, including smashing car windows to extract drivers, blasting open a door at a Huntington Park, CA home during a raid, and horseback patrols in LA’s MacArthur Park.
- Describes a Chicago raid where agents rappelled from a Black Hawk helicopter onto an apartment building, deployed chemical agents near a public school, and handcuffed a Chicago City Council member at a hospital while netting mostly non‑gang immigrants.
- Reports that a federal judge previously rebuked Bovino for misleading the court about protest threats and using tear gas and pepper balls without justification during a downtown Chicago confrontation.
- Reveals an internal ICE memo, obtained by AP, in which ICE leadership now instructs that administrative immigration warrants are sufficient for officers to forcibly enter homes when there is a final order of removal, marking a significant claimed expansion of entry authority.
5:19 PM
Trump administration shifting focus in Minnesota after backlash from Alex Pretti shooting
New information:
- CBS reports that Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino is 'set to leave Minneapolis,' reinforcing prior accounts that he is being removed from his high-profile operational role there.
- The segment confirms that President Trump is personally sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, underscoring that this is a White House–driven leadership change rather than a routine DHS reassignment.
5:05 PM
Minn. 'Antifa' member claims he's 'on the run' after calling for 'armed' men to confront immigration officials
New information:
- Identifies Minneapolis activist Kyle Wagner, a self‑described 'Antifa' member and 'master hate‑baiter,' who posted a video calling for 'good men in the streets, armed and ready' to confront immigration officials after Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti.
- Reports Wagner later posted a second video saying he is 'on the run,' has 'safe places' and 'evacuations planned out,' and is seeking financial support, before deleting remaining social accounts and losing access to his Venmo.
- Quotes Wagner conceding he cannot legally own a gun but urging armed supporters to show up, describing immigration officers as 'mass murderers' and 'fascist occupiers,' and saying 'gloves off then, right?'
- Includes local Republican reaction from former Minneapolis GOP chair Shawn Holster, who calls Wagner part of an 'unprecedented influx of wannabe influencers' and says such agitation is fueling the city’s problems.
4:39 PM
Border Patrol boss Bovino out of Minnesota after Alex Pretti killing
New information:
- A senior Trump administration official says Greg Bovino will no longer oversee Minnesota operations and is returning to his prior role as chief of the El Centro, California, sector; the official frames it as a mutual decision driven partly by death threats, not a formal demotion.
- Two officials briefed on the matter say DHS will reduce the number of officers deployed in Minnesota, marking a pullback from the peak surge levels under Operation Metro Surge.
- The White House acknowledges internally that Trump is unhappy with how Minneapolis has been handled, including his own staff’s and cabinet’s rhetoric; he met for nearly two hours Monday with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and advisor Corey Lewandowski and is seeking a 'strategy shift' while remaining personally fond of Noem.
- The piece documents how the White House first labeled ICU nurse Alex Pretti a 'domestic terrorist' and blamed him for his own death, then publicly softened tone as bipartisan criticism and the threat of a partial government shutdown over DHS funding mounted, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt distancing Trump from staff accusations.
- It underscores that Pretti was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal officers in Minnesota within a month (after Renee Good), and notes a separate non-fatal Minneapolis shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant, tightening the causal link between those incidents and the emerging policy shift.
2:13 PM
A timeline of the shifting Department of Homeland Security.
New information:
- Trump is replacing Gregory Bovino as on‑the‑ground enforcement lead in Minneapolis and has directed border czar Tom Homan to take charge of ICE operations in Minnesota, reporting directly to him.
- Trump held a more than two‑hour Oval Office meeting Monday night with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her top aide Corey Lewandowski, signaling concern about political fallout but, according to attendees, did not threaten their jobs.
- Trump and Gov. Tim Walz spoke by phone; Walz’s office called it 'productive' and said they discussed independent investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good and the possibility of reducing the federal agent footprint in Minnesota.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says some of the roughly 3,000 federal agents deployed under the crackdown are expected to start leaving on Tuesday after his own call with Trump.
- Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and state officials asked a federal judge to extend an order barring the federal government from destroying evidence in the Pretti shooting and to compel federal cooperation with a state investigation; the judge did not immediately rule.
- Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul lawyers urged another federal judge to temporarily halt the deployment of the 3,000 immigration agents; the judge questioned whether their request was overly broad but also pressed DOJ about the motives for the operation.
- The story details the administration’s rapid branding of Pretti as a 'domestic terrorist' and the sharp contrast with bystander videos and accounts from his friends and family, who describe him as a well‑liked ICU nurse and accuse officials of spreading 'sickening lies.'
1:36 PM
Minneapolis police chief questions federal tactics as Border Patrol commander set to leave city
New information:
- CBS reports that Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has been reassigned and will be leaving his Minneapolis post.
- CBS says border czar Tom Homan will take over as the lead federal official in Minneapolis.
- Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CBS the video of Alex Pretti’s killing shows "questionable" tactics by federal agents, signaling formal skepticism from local law enforcement.
January 25, 2026
2:53 PM
Gun rights groups challenge shooting of legally armed Minneapolis man
New information:
- Los Angeles U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said there is a 'high likelihood' law enforcement will be 'legally justified' in shooting someone who approaches them with a gun, prompting sharp public condemnation from major gun-rights groups.
- The National Rifle Association publicly called Essayli’s stance 'dangerous and wrong' and warned responsible voices should await a full investigation rather than demonize lawful gun carriers.
- Gun Owners of America stated that the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms while protesting and that the federal government must not infringe on that right.
- The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus demanded a 'full and transparent investigation' and emphasized that there is 'no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers.'
- The article underscores that available videos show Alex Pretti holding a cellphone—not a gun—before officers tackled him, and notes there is currently no footage supporting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s claim that he was 'brandishing' his weapon.
8:25 AM
GOP Sen. Cassidy breaks with Trump over deadly shooting by Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis
New information:
- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R‑La., publicly called the Minneapolis shooting 'incredibly disturbing' and said 'the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake,' demanding a full joint federal and state investigation.
- Cassidy’s stance contrasts with President Trump, who defended the agents on Truth Social, asserted they 'had to protect themselves,' and blamed Minneapolis officials for allegedly calling off local police.
- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated at a news conference that Pretti approached with a 9mm handgun and two loaded magazines and framed the incident as an attempted 'maximum damage' attack while labeling the broader situation 'domestic terrorism.'
- The article notes the political backdrop that Trump has endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow in a primary challenge to Cassidy, who previously voted to convict Trump in the 2021 impeachment trial.
4:38 AM
Videos, witness accounts of deadly shooting at odds with official statements
New information:
- CBS News verified multiple bystander videos from different angles showing that, in the moments before the confrontation, Alex Pretti’s hands were visibly empty except for a cellphone and no gun was in view.
- Video shows a Border Patrol officer shoving Pretti and another protester, then pepper‑spraying Pretti and trying to force his arm behind his back before a group of officers tackled him and struck him multiple times.
- An officer in a gray jacket is seen reaching into the scrum empty‑handed, then backing away holding what appears to be a gun, with someone shouting “gun, gun,” and another officer appears to press a gun into Pretti’s back as shots are fired.
- The videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot or Pretti holding a gun at any point before or during the takedown, despite DHS claims he “approached” officers with a 9mm handgun; Noem displayed a photo of a recovered pistol but has not addressed the video contradictions.
3:44 AM
Gun rights groups clash after man DHS says was armed fatally shot by CBP in Minneapolis
New information:
- Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued a statement calling the shooting 'deeply concerning,' emphasizing that Alex Pretti was a lawful gun owner and permit‑to‑carry holder, and insisting that 'every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms — including while attending protests.'
- The Caucus said there is 'no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers' and demanded a 'full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities.'
- The National Rifle Association, by contrast, released an X post blaming Gov. Tim Walz and other 'radical progressive politicians' for 'incit[ing] violence against law enforcement' and urged political leaders to 'lower the temperature' while a use‑of‑force investigation proceeds.
2:25 AM
Frey, Klobuchar call for ICE to leave Minneapolis following deadly CBP shooting in city
New information:
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar publicly stated, “We need ICE out of Minnesota,” arguing ICE and CBP agents are making communities less safe rather than safer.
- Klobuchar said roughly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents now deployed in Minnesota outnumber sworn police officers in Minneapolis and St. Paul by about three to one and exceed the combined force of the 10 metro police departments.
- Mayor Jacob Frey announced the city is filing a declaration the same day as the shooting to urge a federal judge to grant a temporary restraining order on Monday to halt the DHS operation.
- Klobuchar linked the current death toll to the surge, saying three people have been shot and two killed in Minnesota ICE/CBP incidents: Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
- Frey said he has requested National Guard assistance to support the Minneapolis Police Department’s roughly 600 officers dealing with both daily crime and protest-driven chaos around federal operations.
1:42 AM
From frigid quiet to outraged sorrow, a few hours on Minneapolis street where agents killed man
New information:
- AP places the shooting at about 9 a.m. on Minneapolis’ Nicollet Avenue 'Eat Street,' roughly 1.5 miles from the Jan. 7 Renee Good ICE killing.
- Two AP journalists arrived within minutes, observed federal agents and a fast‑growing crowd of protesters confronting each other, with protesters using whistles that local networks have organized as ICE alerts.
- The article describes hours of clashes in subzero temperatures, including repeated tear gas, flash‑bangs and pepper balls as officers pushed protesters back from improvised barricades and protesters repeatedly regrouped.
- Roughly five hours after the shooting, federal officers withdrew in a convoy, and protesters physically took over the intersection, blocked it with dumpsters, and built a memorial to Alex Pretti with flowers, candles and branches.
- AP notes the mood among hundreds of protesters as one of "urgent" anger and sorrow, drawing explicit comparisons by residents to the 2020 George Floyd protests, while noting the absence so far of comparable widespread rioting.
1:41 AM
Videos show deadly Minneapolis shooting and political leaders reach different conclusions
New information:
- This article gives a detailed blow‑by‑blow description of multiple bystander videos, showing Pretti repeatedly intervening between officers and protesters, being pepper‑sprayed, wrestled to the ground by at least six masked agents and struck multiple times before shots are fired.
- It reports that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, CBP Commander Gregory Bovino and Trump deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller framed Pretti as attacking officers and a would‑be assassin, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the footage shows untrained federal officers 'pummeling' and killing a constituent.
- The story clarifies that agents were pursuing a man in the country illegally wanted for domestic assault when the clash with protesters, including Pretti, erupted, and that protesters were using whistles, car horns and shouting to disrupt the operation.
1:25 AM
Minneapolis business owners react to deadly shooting: "A neighbor was murdered"
New information:
- Local pub owner Jeff Cowmeadow, whose business sits steps from where Alex Pretti was killed, says Pretti was a neighbor and regular patron and calls the shooting 'a neighbor was murdered' and 'total chaos.'
- Cowmeadow reports shutting down The Prodigal Public House on both Friday and Saturday because of the federal operation and protests, warning of 'ripples' that are economically harming nearby businesses.
- Tomme Beevas, owner of Pimento Jamaican Kitchen on Nicollet Avenue, describes the area as a long‑standing safe space for immigrants that has now been 'violated' by violence on its doorstep and says he used bar stanchions and acted as a volunteer marshal to keep protests peaceful.
- CBS footage and interviews show sub‑zero‑temperature protests, airborne chemical irritants used by federal officers, protesters setting up trash‑can barricades, and Minneapolis police declaring an unlawful assembly while later describing demonstrations as peaceful.
- The article reinforces that multiple videos taken before the shooting show Pretti with nothing in his hands when agents tackle him, despite DHS claims he 'approached' agents with a handgun.
12:20 AM
U.S. citizen shot, killed by federal agents in Minneapolis for second time this month
New information:
- National TV framing that this is the second time in a month federal agents have shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, underscoring a pattern rather than an isolated incident.
- Minneapolis police chief publicly urges residents to keep protests peaceful in response to the latest killing and newly circulated video.
- CBS highlights fresh bystander video of the shooting and frames it as disturbing, suggesting additional visual evidence is now driving public anger and calls for accountability.
January 24, 2026
10:40 PM
Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, killed by federal officers in Minneapolis
New information:
- Details that Pretti was working in an ICU, reportedly at the VA, rather than just identifying him as an AFGE member.
- Provides direct quotes from his father describing his character, his anger over ICE actions in Minneapolis and across the U.S., and a recent family discussion warning him not to engage with officers during protests.
- Offers a step‑by‑step description of the verified video: an officer shoving another person, Pretti stepping in, being sprayed with a canister, wrestled to the ground by multiple officers, and only then shots being fired.
- Documents inflammatory political framing, including White House aide Stephen Miller calling Pretti a "domestic terrorist" and "would‑be assassin" on X, despite the conflicting video evidence.
- Reiterates and integrates statements from Gov. Walz and Chief O’Hara about Pretti’s legal gun permit and lack of serious criminal record, placing official local skepticism directly alongside the DHS version.
10:24 PM
Alex Pretti, 37, identified as man fatally shot by Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis
New information:
- The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) publicly identified the man killed by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis as one of its members, Alex J. Pretti, 37, a Minneapolis resident.
- AFGE says DHS’s claim that Pretti was brandishing a weapon at officers is not clearly established by the social‑media video currently available.
- AFGE states it does not yet know whether the agent who fired the fatal shots is an AFGE member and is urging calm while facts are gathered.
10:00 PM
Minneapolis man killed by federal agents identified as Alex J. Pretti
New information:
- Confirms publicly that the man killed by federal agents in Minneapolis was 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex J. Pretti and spells his name and middle initial.
- Reiterates that federal agents shot and killed him on Saturday in Minneapolis; the piece is a basic identification notice rather than a detailed narrative.
9:28 PM
Stephen Miller accuses Democrats of siding with 'terrorists' after Minneapolis Border Patrol-involved shooting
New information:
- White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on X accusing Democrats of 'siding with terrorists' after the Minneapolis Border Patrol shooting, calling the dead man a 'would-be assassin.'
- Miller directly replied to Sen. Chris Murphy’s call for ICE to leave Minneapolis and for Congress to cut its funding, framing Murphy’s stance as siding with someone trying to murder agents.
- The Fox piece reemphasizes that Gov. Tim Walz says the slain 37‑year‑old had a lawful permit to carry and amplifies AG Pam Bondi’s letter blaming Minnesota ‘sanctuary’ policies for a claimed 1,300% rise in violence and 3,200% rise in vehicle attacks on ICE officers.
9:26 PM
Man killed by federal officer in Minnesota worked as ICU nurse, his parents say
New information:
- Victim is identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA and an avid outdoorsman.
- Family confirms Pretti was a U.S. citizen born in Illinois with no criminal record beyond minor traffic tickets and that he had taken part in protests over the previous ICE killing of Renee Good.
- DHS statement says Pretti 'approached' Border Patrol officers with a 9mm handgun, but officials have not said he brandished it and the gun is not visible in bystander video reviewed by CBS and AP.
- Family says Pretti owned a handgun and had a Minnesota carry permit, but they had never known him to carry it; Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says he was believed to be a lawful gun owner with a carry permit.
- Pretti’s parents describe learning about the shooting first from an AP reporter and say they struggled to get confirmation from police, Border Patrol, hospitals, and ultimately confirmed his death via the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
9:11 PM
Bondi blames Minneapolis leaders after armed suspect killed, unrest erupts during ICE operation
New information:
- Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a live Fox News interview, squarely blamed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz’s 'sanctuary city' stance for creating conditions that led to the unrest after the shooting.
- Bondi confirmed that federal grand jury subpoenas had been issued to Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Frey, though she declined to discuss the investigation’s details.
- Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino provided DHS’s account that the man approached agents during a targeted immigration operation with a 9mm handgun and two loaded magazines, resisted disarmament, and was shot after a BP agent 'feared for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers.'
- Bondi said she had sent a 'very strong letter' to Walz warning that the federal government would step in if state leaders did not back federal enforcement, and she characterized the protests as 'extremely organized' with matching signs and gas masks.
8:57 PM
Democrats condemn shooting as senators prepare to consider funding for ICE.
New information:
- Federal agents shot and killed 37‑year‑old Minneapolis resident and registered nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti on Jan. 24; he was a U.S. citizen with a firearms permit and no criminal record.
- New York Times video analysis of multiple bystander clips shows Pretti holding a phone, not a gun, when agents took him to the ground, and agents appear to fire at least 10 shots in roughly five seconds while he is on the ground.
- Border Patrol operations chief Gregory Bovino claimed without evidence that Pretti intended to 'massacre' agents, a narrative Gov. Tim Walz publicly called 'nonsense' and 'lies' while saying 'thank God we have video.'
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says she is concerned about preservation of evidence at the crime scene and notes that, as with the earlier killing of Renee Good, state investigators appear to be blocked from leading the probe while DHS and the FBI retain control.
- Democratic senators in Washington are condemning the shooting and are expected to factor it into upcoming debates over ICE and DHS funding.
8:41 PM
Man shot and killed by federal officers in Minnesota was an ICU nurse, his parents say
New information:
- The man killed is identified by his parents as 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, confirmed via a hospital record obtained by AP.
- Gov. Tim Walz says he has been in contact with the White House and publicly urges President Trump to end the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
- Rep. Robert Garcia, top Democrat on House Oversight, explicitly calls for abolishing ICE and impeaching DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in response to the killing.
- Rep. Brad Schneider, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, calls for every agent involved to be suspended pending a full independent investigation and says Noem must resign or be fired.
- Vice President JD Vance responds by blaming local Minnesota authorities for refusing to cooperate with ICE, saying agents wanted local law-enforcement support so "situations on the ground didn't get out of hand."
- Local store owner Allison Bross opens her shop near the scene as an ad hoc refuge for protesters, offering food, water, restrooms, medical attention and warmth, while a street-side memorial with flowers and candles forms at a bus stop next to the shooting site.
January 23, 2026
9:28 PM
General strike, rally, marches in Minnesota Friday to protest ICE
New information:
- The grassroots response has escalated into a coordinated general strike with hundreds of Twin Cities businesses closed, a call for 'no work, no school, no shopping' and a mass downtown march and arena rally.
- Faith leaders staged a sit‑in style protest at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport aimed directly at airlines moving ICE detainees; organizers say dozens of clergy were arrested.
- The father/5‑year‑old incident is now a central propaganda battle: the Columbia Heights Public School District publicly accuses ICE of using the child as bait, while DHS has broadcast a counter‑narrative accusing the father of abandonment, offered without supporting evidence.
- Prominent local figures, including Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, were arrested over a church protest targeting an ICE field‑office pastor and then released Friday, signaling prosecutors’ initial posture on protest‑related cases.
- Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino is now on record alleging Minneapolis police ignored federal calls for help during the surge, a claim MPD explicitly denies, highlighting a breakdown in trust and messaging between local and federal law enforcement.
January 22, 2026
1:02 PM
Minnesota agitators stalk, pelt Border Patrol agents with food and spit at gas stations, DHS says
New information:
- DHS publicly alleges that anti‑ICE protesters in Minneapolis–St. Paul have followed Border Patrol agents to multiple gas stations, yelling at them, blocking law‑enforcement vehicles from leaving and creating 'unsafe conditions.'
- DHS says food was thrown at agents at one stop, and at a later stop someone spat on a Border Patrol agent; when an agent moved to detain the person who spat, DHS claims the surrounding crowd 'tackled and attacked' agents, prompting use of unspecified 'crowd control measures.'
- The article notes these DHS allegations come just before Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit to Minneapolis to deliver 'law and order' remarks, and that President Trump is now publicly labeling Minnesota demonstrators 'paid agitators and insurrectionists' while showcasing mug shots from the 'Worst of the Worst' ICE database.