Since December, Minneapolis has been under siege from ICE, with border agents killing two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. In the aftermath of their deaths by the rogue agency, the Trump administration announced a drawdown of 700 agents from the field. And Greg Bovino, the public face of ICE, was sent packing to his previous position in El Centro, California.
While Bovino’s exit is a welcomed victory, his legacy of violence still exists. Amanda Moore, a freelance journalist for outlets like Mother Jones and the Intercept who has covered – and uncovered – extremist right-wing movements, has been on the ground in Minneapolis and Chicago. She spoke with Susan J. Demas on First Draft about Bovino’s legacy and the agency’s brutality. And Amanda also noted that in some areas, like Louisiana, local police forces are working hand in hand with the border agency.
Moore described Bovino’s “fashy TikTok aesthetic” and how his showboating actually got in the way of ICE apprehending immigrants. He really seemed to revel in the mayhem of targeting protesters. “He loved to drive around and have protesters following him into gas stations. And he loved that chaos. You don’t need to stop at a gas station, you know, 15 times in one day. That’s just not what you need to do. He did it.”
As for what it’s like living in Minneapolis right now, Moore describes scenes that sound similar to war zones.
“This constant overhanging threat of like what they [ICE] might do next, I think, is really just like an under under-appreciated thing,” she said. “… If you’re not actually experiencing it, like it’s a little bit like PTSD. I think just if you get tear-gassed and shoved and pushed around by these agents, if you get tackled by them — one time, two times — however many times … every time you see them, it’s a little bit like what’s going to happen this time? And even if it’s even if it’s nothing, it’s still a very harrowing experience.”
Follow Amanda Moore on Bluesky to see her Minneapolis coverage. And don’t miss the whole interview with Amanda on First Draft with Susan J. Demas here on Lincoln Square.
