2018 Email Showed Border Patrol Official Gregory Bovino Portrayed As Confederate General — Reprimands, Lawsuits, and Recent Demotion

Gregory Bovino, a recently demoted Border Patrol official who served as a visible figure in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement, was portrayed as a Confederate general in a 2018 email sent by a colleague, according to multiple reports.

What the Email Exchange Showed

The email chain — exchanged during a contested hiring process — included a photo of Virginia Confederate Gen. William Mahone with the words “Chief Bovino” written above it. Two additional images attached to the message showed Civil War reenactors in Confederate uniforms around a Confederate flag captioned “NLL all hands meeting,” and Black Union soldiers at an artillery position captioned “NLL Sector HQ.”

The message was sent by Christopher Bullock, the officer later placed into the position that had been the subject of a canceled job posting. Bovino reportedly replied, “Oh jeez, DELETE!!!!!” but did not condemn Bullock for sending the images. In a later deposition Bullock said he sent the material because he thought Bovino — described in testimony as a “history buff” — would find it amusing; he acknowledged the email was inappropriate and that it could reasonably be perceived as racist. Bullock was later investigated and formally reprimanded.

Lawsuits And Allegations Of Racial Bias

Two Border Patrol officials, Jon Joyner and Randolph Williams, filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security in 2019, alleging they were denied promotion because of their race after a supervisory listing was canceled and the role was later filled by lateral transfer — with Bullock ultimately receiving the post. Those discrimination claims were settled in 2022 for undisclosed amounts, according to reporting.

Reporting by The American Prospect and local outlet nola.com says Bovino described the email as “bogus,” “worthless” and a waste of government resources, but declined to label the exchange racially motivated. Bovino told nola.com he repeatedly answered “no” when asked whether the exchange was racist.

Recent Developments And Reassignment

In January, federal immigration agents fatally shot two 37-year-old U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in separate incidents 17 days apart in Minnesota. Following scrutiny of operations in that state, Trump administration officials removed Bovino from his role as the agency’s commander at large and reassigned him away from Minneapolis. Separate reporting also alleges Bovino made mocking remarks about the Jewish faith of Minnesota’s U.S. attorney, Daniel Rosen, during a call with local prosecutors.

The administration’s border chief, Tom Homan, was placed in charge of immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and said improvements "could and should be made," without providing further detail. CBP and DHS did not immediately respond to one outlet’s request for comment.

Bottom line: The 2018 email exchange revived questions about hiring fairness and workplace culture inside U.S. Customs and Border Protection and contributed to ongoing scrutiny of senior officials’ conduct as the agency responds to legal claims and operational fallout.