Bovino Is Gone. The Operation Continues.

Don't mistake a pace adjustment for a change of direction.

Greg Bovino—the Border Patrol “commander at large” who called Alex Pretti a domestic terrorist, who said the agents who shot a subdued man ten times were “the real victims”—has been removed from his position and shipped back to California to retire.

If you’re celebrating, I understand. Pressure works. Two days ago, Bovino was untouchable. Today he’s gone.

But I need you to understand something: this is not accountability. This is damage control. And damage control is how fascist regimes extend the runway toward acceptance.

The Test

Here’s the question you should ask about any “victory” in the current crisis:

Does this shift WHO is asserting power, or WHAT power is being asserted?

If the answer is no, you’re not looking at accountability. You’re looking at adaptation. Fine-tuning. The regime learning to boil you slower so you don’t jump out of the pot.

Apply the test to Bovino’s removal:

Did Minnesota assert sovereignty? No. The state filed no charges against federal agents who broke state law. No intervention on ICE operations. No forced turnover of evidence from the Good and Pretti shootings. Federal agents continue operating with impunity on Minnesota soil.

Did Washington retreat? No. Stephen Miller—the deputy chief of staff who called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and “would-be assassin”—is untouched. The architect remains. Only the loud performer got sacrificed.

Did Congress check the Executive? No. Republicans issued statements. They expressed concern. They talked about optics. But they didn’t vote on a single measure to restrain the administration. Talk without votes is theater.

Nothing shifted. The regime swapped a loud face for a quiet one. That’s not accountability. That’s rebranding.

What Real Accountability Would Look Like

If you want to know whether something is actually changing, here’s what to look for:

1. Minnesota asserts sovereignty with real consequences.

That means DHS is forced—by court order, enforced by state power—to turn over all evidence related to the Renee Good and Alex Pretti shootings. It means investigations into obstruction and accessory after the fact, with full intent to charge anyone in leadership.

It means local police, backed by state police and the National Guard, monitor ICE operations and intervene when agents break state law. Assault charges filed when agents attack non-violent protesters. Charges filed when they enter homes without judicial warrants. Charges filed when they endanger children. And whatever level of force is necessary to arrest offenders at the time they commit the crime.

It means laws passed immediately requiring law enforcement to show their faces—no masks except in narrowly defined circumstances—enforced as state crimes.

That’s what sovereignty looks like. Anything less is submission dressed up as restraint.

2. True retreat in Washington.

Unless you see Stephen Miller sidelined, removed, or forced to substantially change his rhetoric, nothing has changed. Miller is the architect. Bovino was a performer. Firing performers while protecting architects is how you give the appearance of accountability while continuing the operation.

3. Checks from Congress.

Unless you see Republicans actually vote on measures that check the Executive—not issue statements, not express concern, not talk about optics—it means nothing. Votes are the only currency that counts. Everything else is performance.

None of these things happened. Bovino is gone, and nothing else changed.

The Real Goal

Here’s what you need to understand about why Bovino was sacrificed:

The goal was never to kill Americans.

Renee Good and Alex Pretti were collateral damage. Their deaths were not the point—they were a PR disaster that threatened the actual operation.

And what is the actual operation? Ethnic cleansing. Removing members of the community who have no criminal history. Deporting asylum seekers who did everything “the right way”—who followed the rules, filed the paperwork, waited in line. Terrorizing immigrant communities into self-deportation or silence.

That operation continues. The only thing that changes with Bovino gone is the spectacle. The masked agents with film crews. The MAGA social media star posting videos of raids. The loud cruelty designed to thrill the base.

That spectacle created problems. It led to confrontations. It led to dead Americans. It led to bad press and Republican senators issuing statements.

So they’re dialing back the spectacle. They’re replacing the loud one with the quiet one. Tom Homan—Trump’s former ICE chief, now “border czar”—is taking over. He’s competent. Experienced. Knows how to execute without the cameras.

The ethnic cleansing will continue. Just quieter. So you stop paying attention.

The Slow Boil

This is how fascist consolidation works. It’s not a straight line from democracy to dictatorship. It’s a series of escalations and adjustments. Push too hard, create a flashpoint, then recalibrate. Extend the runway. Normalize the new baseline. Then push again.

Bovino’s removal isn’t the regime retreating. It’s the regime learning. Learning that spectacle cruelty creates flashpoints. Learning that dead Americans generate bad press. Learning to be quieter, more efficient, more deniable.

A regime that learns to modulate its pace is more dangerous than one that overplays its hand. The destination doesn’t change. They’re just driving more carefully now.

Where To Put Your Energy

If you’re relieved that Bovino is gone, good. Use that energy. But use it wisely. Power misplaced is power wasted.

Here’s the hard truth: Trump and his regime don’t care what you have to say. In fact, they love it when you protest outside ICE facilities. They record the clashes. They use them as propaganda. Every confrontation feeds their project. (If you want the full argument for why, read Fighting Fascism: We’re Doing This Wrong.)

So don’t feed it.

Continue protecting your communities. The whistles have been phenomenal. Continue recording ICE operations—this has been crucial. These tactics work because they protect people without giving the regime footage to exploit.

But when it comes to protest, protest outside the offices of people who want and need your vote. They’re the only ones who will ever listen. Governor Walz has power he isn’t using. Mayor Frey has power he isn’t using. They need your vote. That gives you leverage. Use it.

Elevate the Democrats who are pushing for real change. At the time of this writing, that’s Chris Murphy and Robert Garcia. Find the ones demanding actual accountability—not just issuing statements—and amplify them.

Pressure the Democrats who have power but aren’t using it. At the time of this writing, that’s Walz. He could assert Minnesota’s sovereignty. He could deploy the National Guard to back up local law enforcement—give them the numbers to actually hold ICE agents accountable when they break state law. He hasn’t. Make him.

And spread this message. When someone celebrates Bovino’s departure, ask them: Did Minnesota assert sovereignty? Is Miller gone? Did Congress vote? If the answer is no, nothing changed. The regime just learned to move quieter.

This is the moment to double down, not relax. The pressure that forced Bovino out? It’s leverage. Use it. The momentum you’ve built? Don’t let it dissipate into relief. Channel it into the next push. Every time the regime flinches, push harder. Every time they sacrifice a pawn, demand the king.

Fire the liar. Keep the lie. That’s not accountability. That’s fascism with better PR.

Don’t stop pushing. Just push smarter.

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