After what happened to Renee Good in Minneapolis, the reputations of DHS and ICE have taken a major hit across Minnesota. Public anger has remained high, especially toward federal officials connected to immigration enforcement. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino has become a particularly controversial figure, and his presence in public spaces has increasingly drawn confrontation. That tension was on full display during a recent incident between activists and Bovino at a Target in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In a video circulating online, several St Paul activists are seen confronting Greg Bovino as he and other federal agents exit a restroom inside the Minnesota Target. The atmosphere is tense from the start. One man can be heard loudly shouting at Bovino and telling him to leave Minnesota. Other St Paul activists gather nearby, some recording with their phones while others hold cameras, documenting the encounter as it unfolds inside the Minnesota Target.
At the same time, one DHS agent appears to be holding his own camera, seemingly recording or photographing the St Paul activists. Greg Bovino and the accompanying DHS agents do not respond verbally at first and continue walking toward the entrance of the Minnesota Target. However, just before reaching the door, the group briefly stops.
During that moment, the man who had been shouting escalates his language, saying that he would have physically confronted Bovino if Bovino had not been armed. Greg Bovino pauses and looks back at the man, but no further action is taken. The situation does not escalate beyond words, and the group resumes walking out of the Minnesota Target.
Once outside, the noise level increases significantly. Cars in the parking lot begin honking their horns as more people join in shouting at Bovino. Several voices can be heard telling him to leave and making it clear he is not welcome. Shortly afterward, Bovino and the agents leave the Minnesota Target in a car, and the video ends.
The footage drew strong reactions from viewers who saw it online. Many expressed satisfaction at seeing a St Paul activists confront a high-ranking federal official in such a public setting. “Always walking around with his goons. Another man I know who will never know peace again in his personal life,” one user wrote.
Others focused on the optics of the situation, particularly the number of agents accompanying Bovino during a simple restroom stop at the Minnesota Target. “So this guy needs 15 of his buddies just to use the restroom? Real teenage ‘Mean Girls’ vibes. Target is staying on my boycott list,” another commenter said.
Some reactions were directed more broadly at DHS rather than Bovino himself. Viewers criticized the agents for covering their faces, comparing their appearance to people trying to avoid identification. “They don’t see themselves as the good guys. They act like bullies who enjoy targeting people they think are beneath them. It’s not about the law. It’s about power,” one user wrote.
