Border Patrol commander at large Gregory Bovino was relieved of his national duties and returned to his California post on Monday, the latest development in the Trump administration’s response to tensions in Minneapolis.

Bovino, who has been one of the most visible faces of the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota, is expected to leave the Twin Cities with several Border Patrol agents this week amid growing backlash over enforcement tactics that ignited protests and political fury in the state. Sources familiar with the matter say federal leadership is recalibrating strategy as the operation transitions to new command.

Bovino’s reassignment comes just hours after President Donald Trump announced that he was dispatching Border Czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, which has been gripped by unrest after the Saturday killing of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent. As The Daily Wire’s Jennie Taer reported Monday, there is a growing divide in the Trump administration over how to handle deportations, with Homan squaring off against Bovino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Bovino has also been suspended from accessing his official social media accounts, a move confirmed by a source within Homeland Security, CNN reports. The suspension comes after a string of aggressive posts by Bovino defending Border Patrol actions and trading barbs with critics online following Pretti’s death — behavior that drew attention from lawmakers and media alike.

Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin pushed back on rumors that Bovino was “relieved of duty,” insisting that he remains employed and will continue to be a part of the agency’s leadership nationally. McLaughlin described Bovino as “a key part of the President’s team” in an X post.

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. https://t.co/qj3E9B8uzg

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 27, 2026

Bovino is expected to return to California, where he previously served as chief of the Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector. The post covers roughly 70 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, including Imperial and Riverside Counties, and oversees a mix of rural and urban areas with significant immigration activity. El Centro has long been considered a key operational sector for the Border Patrol, making Bovino’s return a prominent assignment even as he leaves the high-profile Minneapolis deployment.

While DHS maintains Bovino’s overall status has not changed, his high‑profile role in Minnesota has been supplanted as the administration seeks to tamp down political fallout and reassert control on strategy and messaging.

Trump on Monday announced that he held productive phone calls with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. In a series of social media posts, Trump said he and Walz had discussed the situation on the ground and were now on “a similar wavelength.”

“We had a good conversation,” Trump wrote, adding that both sides agreed tensions in Minnesota needed to be brought under control.

Walz confirmed the call, saying he urged the administration to de-escalate the federal presence and restore coordination with state and local authorities. “What Minnesota needs right now is calm, clarity, and accountability,” Walz said following the conversation.

France’s National Assembly on Monday backed legislation to ban children under 15 years old from social media on Monday, amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.

The bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and “social networking functionalities” embedded within broader platforms, and reflects rising public angst over the impact of social media on minors.

Lawmakers voted 116 to 23 in favor of the bill. It now passes to the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.

President Emmanuel Macron has pointed to social media as one factor to blame for violence among young people. He is urging France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.

Macron wants the ban in place in time for the start of the next academic year in September.

“With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying social media is not harmless,” centrist lawmaker Laure Miller told the chamber as she presented the bill.

“Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,” she continued. “This is a battle for free minds.”

Australia’s social media ban is being studied in countries including Britain, Denmark, Spain and Greece.

The European Parliament has called for the European Union to set minimum ages for children to access social media, although it is up to member states to impose age limits.

There is broad political and public support in France for curbing minors’ access to social media.

Far-right lawmaker Thierry Perez said the bill responded to a “health emergency.”

“Social media has allowed everyone to express themselves, but at what cost to our children?” Perez said.

The French ban would require platforms to block access to young teenagers through age‑verification mechanisms compliant with European Union law.

Enforcing such bans can be difficult. Australia’s government acknowledged the rollout of its ban would be bumpy after children claiming to be under 16 flooded the country’s social media feeds with messages gloating about their continued ability to access networks.

The French legislation also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior and middle schools to cover high schools.

A Harris Interactive survey in 2024 showed 73% of the public supported a ban on social media access for under-15s.

Teenagers on the streets of Paris were split in their views. Some said they acknowledged the dangers associated with social media. Others felt a ban was excessive.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Richard Lough, Alex Richardson and Diane Craft)