Minnesota prosecutor ignites legal battle against federal immigration officers, and it has Greg Bovino as its prime target
Photo by Chad Davis, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has just announced a major investigation that could lead to charges against federal officers, including Border Patrol official Greg Bovino, for alleged misconduct during an immigration enforcement crackdown known as Operation Metro Surge, as reported by Associated Press. Moriarty made it clear her office is ready for a significant legal battle.
Her office is already digging into 17 specific cases. One incident on January 21 saw Bovino reportedly throwing a smoke canister at protesters. Another alarming situation on January 7 involved federal officers making an arrest right outside a high school, deploying chemical irritants while students and staff were in the immediate vicinity.
Federal officers also took a pretty forceful approach to corralling protesters throughout Minneapolis-St. Paul. We’ve heard reports of numerous people being detained just for blowing whistles or recording arrests. Even more tragically, Moriarty’s office is also investigating the deaths of 37-year-old mother Renee Good and 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, who were both fatally shot on different days in January by federal officers. She’s confident they will be able to pursue charges in these cases.
Greg Bovino isn’t new to controversy
Bovino emerged as a key figure in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations. He’s known for bringing aggressive tactics to crackdowns in cities like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
In Chicago, for example, federal officers frequently used chemical irritants for crowd control in residential neighborhoods. A judge even ordered Bovino to wear a body camera and appear in court daily there, though that order was overturned before he made his first appearance. Bovino was eventually removed from his leading role in the Minnesota effort following the deaths of Good and Pretti, which sparked nationwide demonstrations against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) use-of-force policies.
Following Moriarty’s announcement, the DHS argues that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and states simply cannot prosecute federal officers. Their statement declared that “What these States are trying to do is unlawful, and they know it,” adding that “Federal officials acting in the course of their duties are immune from liability under state law.” They even suggested that local officials should consider how their own actions have endangered federal law enforcement officers.
Despite the federal government’s strong stance, Moriarty is undeterred. She stated, “Make no mistake, we are not afraid of the legal fight, and we are committed to doing this correctly.” She also firmly believes that “Operation Metro Surge caused immeasurable harm to our community.”
To gather evidence, her office has set up an online portal where community members can upload photos, videos, and eyewitness accounts from any point during Operation Metro Surge. Moriarty has even said her office is prepared to sue the federal government to get the evidence she has requested for the investigations if she doesn’t hear from them by Tuesday.
Published: Mar 3, 2026 01:00 pm