Labor unions, Congressman Raul Ruiz denounce the return of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino

Labor unions denounced the return of recently reassigned U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to the U.S. Border Patrol, El Centro Sector in Southern California’s Imperial County. 

Bovino was previously assigned to a leadership position in Minneapolis, where two individuals, Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, were killed at the hands of federal officers. 

The aftermath of the tragic deaths has incited numerous protests across the country, gaining national attention, and Bovino has been criticized for his leadership, sparking backlash from California unions and U.S. Congressional Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25), who oversees the El Centro Sector in his district. 

The United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) and Service Employees International Union Local 221 (SEIU 221) represent over 16,000 janitors, security officers, airport workers, stadium workers, childcare workers, non-profit workers, and county and city workers across the region. 

In a written statement, the unions wrote, “The news of Bovino’s departure from Minnesota and return to California will be little solace to working families who have endured the indignity of Border Patrol and ICE raids, checkpoints and state-sponsored violence. Border Patrol agents who perpetuate that culture of violence have claimed the lives of workers and forever injured our families.”

According to reports, Bovino led the multi-day immigration raid “Operation Return to Sender” in Kern County last year, where 78 individuals were detained for allegedly not having lawful immigration status. Shortly after the operation, United Farm Workers and others filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, claiming that the raid targeted people of color who appeared to be farm workers or day laborers, regardless of their actual immigration status.

Since then, Bovino has overseen several high-profile raids in Los Angeles and Chicago, among other locations, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. 

“The unscrupulous tactics used by Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and his team of agents during raids in Kern County, Los Angeles and across the nation threaten the basic civil liberties afforded to all who call this country home,” wrote Bonta in a press release from 2025.

Amid the announced return of Bovino to the El Centro Sector, Congressman Ruiz is siding with the unions and others and also calling for an immediate briefing for Imperial County stakeholders following Bovino’s return. 

“I am deeply alarmed by the escalation of aggressive tactics that have occurred under Chief Bovino’s leadership, including the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Nicole Good in Minnesota. These incidents demand a full, independent investigation, and the American people deserve clear answers and accountability,” wrote Ruiz in a recent press release. 

Ruiz’s district includes all of Imperial County, which neighbors the Mexicali and Calexico U.S. port of entry, parts of Riverside County and San Bernardino County. 

“Imperial County should never be treated like a testing ground for extreme tactics that have sparked outrage and tragedy elsewhere. Border enforcement works best when there is trust, transparency and real coordination with local leaders—not a ‘shock and awe’ approach that leaves communities traumatized and local partners in the dark,” said Ruiz.