Border Patrol chief says JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor are ‘feeding violence’ against ICE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Gregory Bovino, a key figure in President Donald Trump’s border crackdown, lashed out at Illinois Democrats this weekend.
The veteran agent who runs the US Border Patrol’s El Centro sector targeted Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, accusing the two Democrats of “feeding” violence against federal agents.
During an appearance on Fox News’ 'The Big Weekend Show' on Saturday, Bovino suggested their anti-enforcement rhetoric could be putting agents’ lives in danger.
Gregory Bovino accused JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson of fueling violence
When asked by co-host Kevin Corke about the two Democrats’ criticism of immigration enforcement, Bovino did not hold back.
“Those individuals, like the governor or mayor, they feed violence. They foment this violence — and I kind of scratch my head as to why they would do that — but they are actually feeding this violence and trying to get people hurt,” Bovino said.
“I wonder if they actually want Border Patrol agents and ICE officers hurt. At this point, I’ve almost come to that conclusion,” he added. “It’s a sad fact, but they continually banter that rhetoric around, and I’ve not heard anything on the suspects we’ve arrested, the bad people and bad things we’ve arrested by the thousands.”
Gregory Bovino cited Chicago arrest of aggravated felon
Bovino pointed to one recent case in which an “aggravated felon” was arrested in Chicago as part of a federal operation with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He said the man had been “walking the streets with immunity” after serving just three years for a firearms charge.
The chief said he would rather hear Pritzker and Johnson focus on criminals like that instead of attacking the President at every opportunity.
Bovino also criticized Democrats in Oregon and Portland for doing “almost nil” to cooperate with enforcement, after Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek condemned Trump’s plan to send troops to Portland.
The 55-year-old, dubbed by Fox News earlier this year as the “architect” of Trump’s immigration enforcement push in Los Angeles, has built a rep as one of the most outspoken defenders of the administration’s hardline immigration playbook.
JB Pritzker rejected Trump’s push to send in troops
Bovino’s remarks came just hours after JB Pritzker denounced Trump for federalizing the Illinois National Guard. Both he and Brandon Johnson opposed Trump’s plan to deploy federal forces in Chicago to curb crime and detain illegal immigrants.
“I want to be clear: there is no need for military troops on the ground in the State of Illinois,” Pritzker said Saturday. “I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people.”
JB Pritzker blasted ICE for heavy-handed Chicago raids
Pritzker has long clashed with immigration authorities. He accused ICE and Border Patrol of heavy-handed tactics during raids in Chicago, including a recent apartment raid where residents were zip-tied and held in vans.
“Military-style tactics should never be used on children in a functioning democracy,” Pritzker said Friday, accusing agents of separating kids from their parents. “This didn’t happen in a country with an authoritarian regime — it happened here in Chicago.”
The governor also blasted Trump’s plan to deploy 100 troops to Illinois to “protect ICE personnel and facilities,” calling it an “un-American” pretext for militarization. He compared agents to “jack-booted thugs” and accused them of racial profiling during protests and enforcement actions.
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