Border Patrol chief fires back after Chicago mayor calls him ‘barbaric’ over tear gas clash
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is firing back after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson labeled him “barbaric,” saying that kind of anti-police rhetoric is fueling real-world violence against immigration agents.
The pushback comes after Bovino was ordered to testify in federal court by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis, following accusations that he violated an order barring the use of riot-control weapons like tear gas during protests.
After his appearance in court, Bovino was ordered to begin wearing a body camera and to report to the judge nightly.
“He did call me that word ‘barbaric,’ and that is what we’re talking about with the heated rhetoric that causes violence against law enforcement officers,” Bovino said on “The Faulkner Focus” Wednesday.
BORDER PATROL CHIEF FIRES BACK AFTER PRITZKER CALLS FEDERAL OPERATIONS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL INVASION’
“What about the legal, ethical and moral duties that we conduct every day on the streets of Chicago to make his city safer? Is that barbaric?”
Johnson called Bovino “a barbaric individual” on Tuesday and said he hoped a federal judge would provide a “level of accountability.”
Bovino’s legal issues stem from clashes in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, where Border Patrol agents say they were attacked with rocks, bottles and fireworks.
The incident remains under judicial review after video surfaced showing Bovino throwing tear gas at protesters. It comes after complaints of excessive force by officers and a judge’s restraining order limiting riot-control techniques against peaceful protesters and members of the press.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security released its own video showing multiple projectiles striking Bovino. “Border czar” Tom Homan defended Bovino on “The Faulkner Focus” Tuesday, arguing agents use tools like tear gas and pepper balls when they’re under attack.
Chief Bovino says he will comply with the judge’s orders.
“If she wants to meet with me every day, then she’s going to see, she’s [going to] have a very good firsthand look at just how bad things really are on the streets of Chicago,” he said.
“I look forward to meeting with that judge to show her exactly what’s happening and the extreme amount of violence perpetrated against law enforcement here.”
The clashes come as the Trump administration carries out “Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal enforcement initiative that has resulted in more than 1,000 migrant arrests across Illinois.
Local and state officials have pushed back on the operation. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accused agents of racial profiling and detaining both illegal immigrants and legal U.S. citizens – claims administration officials have strongly denied.
