Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as the “commander at large” for the US Border Patrol and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, The Atlantic reported on Monday, citing a Homeland Security official and two people with knowledge of the change.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Earlier on Monday, President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz struck a conciliatory tone after a private phone call about immigration enforcement, signalling efforts to resolve the standoff over a deportation operation that has claimed the lives of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

According to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, Bovino is among the federal agents expected to depart Minneapolis on Tuesday.

The expected departure coincides with a broader leadership reshuffle announced by Trump. The president said he was placing his border czar, Tom Homan, in charge of the Minnesota mission, with Homan reporting directly to the White House. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Homan would serve as “the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis” during continued federal immigration operations.

Despite these developments, confusion persists over Bovino’s status. While some reports suggested he had been demoted after federal agents were directed to leave Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security publicly disputed that characterisation.

Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary, wrote on social media: “Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties. As @PressSec stated from the White House podium, @CMDROpAtLargeCA is a key part of the President’s team and a great American.”

No formal announcement has confirmed Bovino’s removal or reassignment, leaving open questions about whether his departure from Minneapolis represents a temporary redeployment or a broader shift in his responsibilities.

Bovino’s sudden removal is seen as the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration is reconsidering its most aggressive tactics following the killing Saturday of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents under Bovino’s command.

Earlier on Monday, Trump appeared to signal a tactical shift in the administration’s mass-deportation campaign. He noted that he spoke with Governor Walz—whom the White House has blamed for inciting violence—and that the two men are now on “a similar wavelength.”

Trump added that Tom Homan, the former ICE chief designated as “border czar,” will head to Minnesota to assume command of the federal mobilisation there.

“For the past seven months, Bovino has been the public face of a travelling immigration crackdown on cities governed by Democrats. Noem and other Trump officials gave Bovino the ‘commander’ title and sent him and his masked border agents to Chicago, Charlotte, New Orleans, and then Minneapolis,” The Atlantic reported.

“Bovino became a MAGA social-media star as he travelled the country with his own film crew and used social media to hit back at Democratic politicians and random critics online. Veteran ICE and CBP officials grew more and more uneasy as Bovino worked outside his agency’s chain of command and appeared to relish his role as a political actor.”

In Minneapolis, Bovino acted as the administration’s lead spokesperson, holding daily press conferences where he defended agents’ rough tactics and cast blame on protesters and local officials. Border Patrol commanders typically avoid engaging in political arguments with elected officials.

Bovino’s fall comes two days after Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis fatally shot Pretti, an intensive-care nurse who worked with veterans. Hours after the shooting, Bovino appeared at a press conference and echoed statements by DHS alleging Pretti sought to “massacre” the federal agents. Bovino repeatedly claimed that Border Patrol agents, not Pretti, were the victims.

Officials close to Bovino, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski, are also reported to be at risk of losing their positions, The Atlantic noted.