U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino mocked a Jewish prosecutor’s faith during a recent phone call, a new report claims.
During a January 12 phone call, The New York Times reports Bovino mocked the faith of Daniel N. Rosen, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota and an Orthodox Jew. The outlet cited multiple sources with knowledge of the call.
Bovino reportedly requested a call with Rosen to push his office to seek more criminal charges against people accused of impeding federal immigration agents. But Rosen delegated the call to a deputy, the outlet reports.
During the call, Bovino used the phrase “chosen people” in a mocking way and complained he couldn’t get in contact with Rosen during part of the weekend, because he was observing Shabbat, the outlet reports.
Shabbat is a Jewish period of rest between Friday and Saturday evenings. It often includes refraining from certain activities, including driving and using electronic devices.
Bovino also sarcastically asked if Rosen knew Orthodox Jewish criminals don’t take weekends off, according to the outlet.
Bovino did not respond to requests for comment from The New York Times, and Rosen reportedly declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Border Patrol, accused the outlet of reporting on “gossip.”
“Instead of focusing on gossip, why don’t you focus on something actually important like the victims of illegal alien crime or the criminals taken out of Minneapolis communities?” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet.
The Independent has requested comment from DHS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Over the last year, Bovino has helped lead the Trump administration’s high-profile immigration enforcement operations across the country. He was also stationed in Minneapolis for several weeks this month, and defended the federal agents who shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in separate incidents.
However, Bovino was reportedly demoted and dispatched back to California just days after Pretti was killed on January 24.
The move came after Bovino claimed, despite footage showing otherwise, that Pretti wanted to “massacre law enforcement.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has similarly falsely claimed Pretti was “brandishing” a gun at officers.
Footage of the incident shows agents pulling Pretti to the ground, seizing a weapon from him and then shooting him multiple times. Local officials have said Pretti was a lawful gun owner and had a permit to carry.
A preliminary review by a Department of Homeland Security internal watchdog also made no mention of Pretti brandishing a weapon.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has since announced a federal investigation into Pretti’s shooting, which he described as “standard” procedure.
President Donald Trump has dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, where he’s now managing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
