Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino has been going around with his head held high these days. With him leading the Border Patrol, it’s no wonder he seems emboldened, especially considering that his agents have often been given leeway and rarely reprimanded even when they acted unlawfully or harshly during arrests. While most people simply try to avoid triggering Bovino’s ire, some were willing to stand against him, challenging both his presence and the actions of his agents in Illinois.
Shockingly, a video recently went viral showing Evanston, Illinois Mayor Daniel Biss confronting Bovino directly. In the video, you can see Biss going face-to-face with Bovino as the two men glare at one another, while several Border Patrol agents surround them, pushing back civilians who were trying to record the scene. The confrontation started when a group of protesters showed up during Bovino’s immigration enforcement operation. The scene was chaotic, with whistles blowing and civilians shouting at the officers while Bovino and his agents attempted to maintain control of the situation in Illinois.
When Biss confronted Bovino, he said he could not accept the abuse, racism, and violence that Bovino and his agents were spreading in Illinois. One of the masked agents interrupted, shouting that this was precisely why they were there, as if they were delivering justice and protecting people from violence and racism, even though they were the ones doling it out. A protester immediately shouted back that they did not want Bovino in the city. Later, Biss tweeted that the only violent group he had encountered that day was “Greg Bovino and his masked thugs,” who were terrorizing innocent people in Illinois.
Understandably, the internet sided with the Illinois mayor, agreeing that Bovino and his men were menaces. “This needs to happen nationwide,” one user said. Some remarked that the statements by the Border Patrol agents were shocking. “It’s staggering how openly these federal agents are saying that they intend to hurt the people around them, and somehow that’s not the top story every morning,” one user said.
Others, however, mocked Bovino for his short height. When the two men were facing each other, it was more than clear who was taller. “Little Napoleon there needs to be, I can’t say on Reddit without getting banned,” one user said. Another even joked that the mayor could easily pick him up like a child because of how short he was. Another wrote, “This is what happens when you put Reddit trolls in charge of federal law enforcement agencies.”
