Border Patrol Leader Mocked U.S. Attorney's Shabbat Observance
Gregory Bovino reportedly made derisive comments about U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen's Shabbat observance on a Jan. 12 planning call.
Overview
Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol field leader, used derisive remarks about U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen's Orthodox Jewish Shabbat observance on a Jan. 12 planning call, according to multiple people with knowledge of the call.
The Jan. 12 call occurred amid tension over federal immigration enforcement and preceded the resignation of six career federal prosecutors in protest, lawyers in the U.S. attorney's office and other people familiar with the matter said.
Reports of Bovino's comments were relayed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, other Department of Justice officials and the White House, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Bovino was reassigned away from his Minneapolis command and returned to the El Centro sector after facing backlash over his conduct in multiple operations, officials said.
Officials said the remarks could trigger disciplinary or investigatory steps by the Justice Department or Homeland Security as leaders review the Jan. 12 call and related coordination failures.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the episode as evidence of religious insensitivity and possible antisemitism, emphasizing anonymous accounts of derisive language (the quoted phrase "chosen people") and the administration's contradictory stance on combating antisemitism. They prioritize prosecutors' reactions, highlight the timing with mass resignations, and link the call to broader misunderstandings of Orthodox practice.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Bovino reportedly mocked Rosen by sarcastically asking if Orthodox Jewish criminals take weekends off and used the term 'chosen people' in a disparaging way after learning Rosen was unavailable due to Shabbat.
The call involved federal officials coordinating a Saturday meeting on immigration enforcement issues in Minnesota amid tensions from large-scale raids, protests, and the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer.
Reports were relayed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Justice officials, and the White House; Bovino was reassigned from Minneapolis to the El Centro sector in California due to backlash over his conduct.
Daniel N. Rosen is the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, an Orthodox Jew who observes Shabbat by abstaining from work from Friday sundown to Saturday nightfall, as per religious law.
History
This story does not have any previous versions.