President Trump's former Border Patrol boss is starting a mutiny against the White House amid protests at a Newark, New Jersey ICE facility.
Former Commander Heads to Newark
Former Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino posted a selfie from an airport gate, saying he is heading to Newark to personally witness the protests that have sparked there.
'@SenMullin and the rest of them have been trying to handle these riots and… well, let's just say it's not going great,' his post blared, calling out Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin by name.
'For those of you in the comments section, give a vote. Should I just handle this myself? Those agents' lives are at stake due to this inaction,' Bovino's post continued. In addition to Mullin, Bovino notably tagged White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in the post.
The White House has been contacted for comment.
Rocky Relationship with West Wing
The combative social media post underscores the rocky relationship the West Wing has with its former Border Patrol star, who was deployed to Los Angeles, Chicago and Minnesota to reinforce Trump's sweeping deportation orders.
Bovino left his post after two Americans were shot and killed by immigration officials in Minneapolis this January. Conflicting reports dispute whether Bovino was fired or if he left on his own accord.
Wiles noted in a December Vanity Fair interview that the administration needed to be more careful in its deportation processes. At the time, Bovino was the face of Trump's deportation machine.
Bovino wasn't the only culprit for the deaths of Americans Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem left the department in early March. Noem was embroiled in multiple controversies when she departed, including her rumored affair with her subordinate, Corey Lewandowski, a controversial $220 million DHS ad campaign that prominently featured herself, her penchant for wearing full makeup and law enforcement gear - earning her the nickname 'ICE Barbie' - and other infractions.
Bovino's Rebukes of New DHS Boss
Since Mullin has replaced Noem as DHS boss, Bovino has looked for opportunities to rebuke the Trump Cabinet official. In April, after Mullin said in a CNBC interview that DHS is doing deportations 'in a more quiet way,' the former Border Patrol commander chided the secretary.
'How exactly does the 'quiet way' cause mass deportations,' Bovino wrote. 'Mass deportations is what we are after, not being quiet.'
On Thursday morning, Mullin defended the ICE center: 'Not only are we providing them a safe place to stay, and food, and a place to sleep, but we're also giving them a convenience store to buy products out of. So we're going above and beyond.' DHS has been contacted for comment.
Bovino's hard-driving tactics appear at odds with the White House's new 'quiet' deportation model, exposing a fissure in strategy.
Newark ICE Facility Conditions
In Newark, inmates at the ICE detention center have begun a hunger strike, claiming conditions within the center are not up to standards. The migrants claim that they have been served beans and salad with worms inside, have been placed in crowded rooms without air conditioning and have had their immigration cases ignored by federal judges, the New Jersey Monitor reported. Some have been there for a year.
For days, protestors have clashed with authorities outside of the center. On Monday, New Jersey Senator Andy Kim was pepper sprayed during a clash between activists and authorities. Governor Mikie Sherrill and Kim, alongside several members of the state's Democratic-heavy delegation, showed up to the building on Monday demanding answers about the reportedly squalid conditions.
Kim was allowed in the building after being impacted from the pepper balls authorities fired toward protestors. 'What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country,' Kim told NJ.com, adding that he had trouble breathing. Kim - who said earlier Monday the facility should be shut down 'immediately' - said before the melee broke out that he was trying to get the agents to stop pointing guns at protesters and broker a truce that would allow immigration activists to inspect cars leaving the facility.
