Lead
U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino is expected to depart Chicago within days, multiple sources told ABC News on Nov. 11, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security says it will continue a federal enforcement presence in the city even as Bovino’s immediate role shifts. Sources say he may be reassigned to another city or return to the El Centro sector in Southern California. The announcement follows mounting scrutiny over an Oct. 23 incident in Chicago’s Little Village and related court action.
Key Takeaways
- Greg Bovino, a senior U.S. Border Patrol official, is expected to leave Chicago in the coming days (reported Nov. 11, 2025).
- DHS says it will retain an enforcement presence in Chicago despite Bovino’s departure.
- The Oct. 23 Little Village incident involved tear gas and a video showing a Border Patrol officer throwing a gas canister without a verbal warning.
- U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis admonished Bovino and issued a preliminary injunction limiting the use of force during immigration arrests and protests.
- Operation Midway Blitz, the federal surge in Chicago, began in September 2025 and remains the backdrop for legal and political dispute.
- Bovino’s next assignment is unconfirmed; sources say El Centro (Southern California) or another city are possibilities.
- DHS defended its actions at the time, saying a Border Patrol transport van was attacked by demonstrators during the operation.
Background
Federal immigration enforcement surged in Chicago under an operation dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, which launched in September 2025 as a targeted effort to apprehend undocumented migrants and ramp up immigration-related arrests. The operation has been overseen by senior Border Patrol leadership dispatched to the city and has drawn sustained criticism from local officials, immigrant advocates and civil liberties groups. Those critics have challenged both the legality and the tactics of the federal surge, prompting lawsuits and heightened media attention.
The Oct. 23 incident in Little Village has become central to those challenges after video circulated showing a senior Border Patrol official throwing a gas canister toward protesters. The use of force prompted a federal judge to intervene, and legal filings in the resulting litigation have spotlighted how agents engaged with demonstrators and detainees. DHS and Border Patrol have defended their operational decisions, while community groups and some elected officials have demanded accountability and changes to rules of engagement.
Main Event
According to multiple sources who spoke to ABC News, Greg Bovino is expected to leave Chicago in the coming days. The sources said his departure could be a reassignment elsewhere or a return to the El Centro sector in Southern California, where he has previously served. DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin posted on social media on Nov. 11 that the agency is not leaving the city, citing crime statistics from Operation Midway Blitz to justify continued presence.
The Oct. 23 Little Village episode remains a focal point. Video widely circulated shows an officer—identified in reporting as a senior Border Patrol official—throwing a gas canister at demonstrators without issuing a clear verbal warning first, which is significant because a U.S. district judge’s earlier temporary restraining order limited use-of-force protocols. The incident was cited by plaintiffs in court filings challenging federal enforcement tactics and helped prompt judicial review of the operation’s rules of engagement.
Last week U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis admonished Bovino during court proceedings, saying he had admitted to false statements about rock-throwing used to justify deploying tear gas against protesters. In response to the litigation, Judge Ellis issued a preliminary injunction restricting force during immigration arrests and at demonstrations, tightening operational limitations for agents working in the city.
Analysis & Implications
Bovino’s pending departure occurs at the intersection of operational command decisions and legal constraints. A senior commander’s reassignment can be routine, a tactical redeployment, or a leadership response to legal and public pressure; determining which requires clarity from DHS and the Border Patrol. For the Chicago operation, leadership changes risk altering tactics, oversight and local coordination at a sensitive moment when courts are already reshaping permissible actions.
Legally, the preliminary injunction from Judge Ellis narrows the latitude federal agents have during arrests and protests, which could force procedural changes across similar deployments. If leadership shifts toward officials who emphasize enforcement continuity, agencies may face renewed litigation; if leadership changes produce de-escalation, local friction could ease, at least temporarily. Either outcome will influence how other cities respond to future federal immigration surges.
Politically, the episode underscores tensions between federal immigration priorities and municipal governance. Chicago’s elected leaders and community groups have condemned the tactics used under Operation Midway Blitz, while DHS frames the surge as addressing crime and immigration enforcement. Bovino’s reassignment—or a high-profile departure—may become a political flashpoint in local and national debates over immigration enforcement strategies ahead of further policy and electoral cycles.
Comparison & Data
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | Operation Midway Blitz federal enforcement surge begins in Chicago |
| Oct. 23, 2025 | Incident in Little Village involving tear gas and a gas canister |
| Early Nov. 2025 | Judge Sara Ellis issues preliminary injunction limiting use of force |
| Nov. 11, 2025 | Sources tell ABC News Bovino expected to leave Chicago |
The table above places the personnel development in the context of the legal and operational timeline. While exact deployment numbers and arrest tallies related to Operation Midway Blitz have been cited by officials, comprehensive, independently verified statistics remain dispersed among DHS reporting, city records and advocacy group tracking.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials and community observers responded quickly after reports of Bovino’s expected departure. DHS emphasized continued federal presence; community groups called for accountability and transparency as the litigation proceeds.
We aren’t leaving Chicago.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (social media post)
That message from DHS was posted on social media on Nov. 11 and was accompanied by references to crime data tied to Operation Midway Blitz. The statement was framed to reassure local officials and the public that federal enforcement actions would continue despite shifting personnel.
a Border Patrol transport van transporting undocumented immigrants was attacked by demonstrators
Department of Homeland Security (statement reported by ABC News)
DHS used this account to justify actions taken during the Oct. 23 incident; plaintiffs and video evidence submitted in court have contested aspects of the agency’s narrative, contributing to the judge’s intervention.
Unconfirmed
- Bovino’s exact next posting is unconfirmed; sources say he may return to El Centro or be reassigned elsewhere.
- The full factual account of whether the Border Patrol transport van was definitively attacked and by whom remains subject to ongoing investigation and court review.
- Any internal disciplinary actions or personnel determinations by CBP related to the Oct. 23 incident have not been publicly disclosed in full.
Bottom Line
Greg Bovino’s expected departure from Chicago comes amid active litigation and heightened public scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics under Operation Midway Blitz. The judicial injunction and public video evidence have constrained operational behavior and elevated demands for accountability from community groups and local officials.
Regardless of whether Bovino is reassigned or returns to El Centro, the more consequential development is the court-imposed limitation on the use of force and the continuing legal scrutiny of federal tactics. That legal framework, not a single personnel move, is likely to have longer-lasting effects on how the federal government conducts immigration enforcement in Chicago and other jurisdictions.
Sources
- ABC News — news report and original coverage of Bovino’s expected departure and related court proceedings (news).
- Department of Homeland Security — agency statements and press materials referenced by DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (official).