Border Patrol Chief Claims Minneapolis Street Violence Directly Linked to Liberal Politicians’ Rhetoric

By Nicole Weatherholtz | Friday, 16 January 2026 10:19 AM EST

Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino warned Friday morning that immigration teams are facing escalating street violence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as they attempt to enforce immigration law, and he blamed liberal politicians and activists for fanning the flames.

Speaking from the city, Bovino said agents are witnessing protests turn into attacks that make enforcement more dangerous. “On the ground here in Minneapolis, we see a lot of violence by some of those agitators, some of those rioters,” he stated. “Heated rhetoric by many of those elected officials contributes to that violence and that mayhem.”

Bovino asserted there is “a direct causation and attribution” to the violence on the ground, telling “Wake Up America” that “oftentimes, we’ll hear one of those representatives talk on TV, and just a few hours later, the violence starts.” He framed it as a choice between public safety and political theater, insisting, “We’re here to do this Title 8 mission, and that’s what we want to do.”

Bovino explained that agents aim to “take those bad people, bad things off the streets—the murderers, the rapists, the people that should not be here,” often targeting migrants who entered over the past four years. “When we’re not allowed to do that or we’re prevented from doing that,” he added, “that’s where the problems occur.” He argued that pushback from “representatives and influencers” can translate into chaos on the ground.

Bovino emphasized cooperation, noting that in some areas officers have worked “hand in hand” with local partners, resulting in sharp declines in violence. He questioned whether those behind backlash “want that solution or do they want that violence?” Bovino stressed immigration enforcement has operated for “101 years,” with interior operations running “for decades,” and urged critics to “let us do our job.”

He warned that “unless they dial down that rhetoric, there’s going to be bloodshed,” calling recent clashes “another one of those ‘I told you so’ moments.” Despite the unrest, Bovino said “the morale is extremely high right now” among immigration enforcement agents because they believe the mission is “legal, ethical, and moral” and focused on criminals who threaten “mom-and-pop America.”