EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA — U.S. Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino will retire at the end of March 2026. Bovino has not submitted any retirement paperwork as of the latest statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said.

"The greatest honour of my entire life was to work alongside Border Patrol agents on the border and in the interior of the United States in some of the most challenging conditions the agency has ever faced," Bovino said.

Bovino is eligible for retirement and is one year away from the mandatory retirement age of 57 in U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 1996 and has worked in immigration enforcement for nearly 30 years.

In January 2026, Bovino was removed from his role as commander at large for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. After his removal from the commander-at-large role, Bovino returned to his position as Border Patrol sector chief in El Centro, California. Tom Homan replaced Bovino as commander at large for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

As commander at large, Bovino reported directly to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski. He led immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles, including Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.

Emails showed that in October Bovino was frustrated in Chicago when he was told to conduct targeted arrests rather than full scale immigration enforcement. The administration allowed Bovino to deploy his tactics in New Orleans, Charlotte and other parts of North Carolina.

Bovino conducted immigration arrests at workplaces and residences in Los Angeles beginning in the LA Fashion District. In one incident in Los Angeles, his agents exited a rental truck in a Home Depot parking lot to arrest day laborers. Those Los Angeles arrests sparked five days of protests that led to deployment of the National Guard and the Marines.

Prior to his national role, Bovino was sued and accused of using similar tactics in California's Kern County against agricultural workers. A federal judge chastised Bovino after finding that he used chemical agents in residential neighborhoods in violation of a court order to curb their use. The same judge called Bovino back into court after finding that he repeatedly lied about threats posed by immigrants and protesters.

Bovino claimed he threw a gas canister after he was hit by a rock. He later walked back his claim to have thrown a gas canister after video evidence contradicted it.

In January 2026, Bovino made disparaging remarks toward Minnesota prosecutor Daniel Rosen after being told Rosen could not attend a meeting because he was observing the Sabbath.