SAN DIEGO — Two prominent Southern California labor unions issued a scathing joint statement Thursday, condemning the return of Gregory Bovino to the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector and labeling the official “persona non grata” in the region.
The Service Employees International Union – United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) and SEIU Local 221—which together represent more than 16,000 workers across San Diego and Imperial counties—joined the San Diego and Imperial County Central Labor Council in calling for Bovino’s immediate removal from his post.
The unions represent a broad spectrum of the regional workforce, including janitors, security officers, San Diego International Airport employees, and county and city workers.
“Our communities should not be the dumping ground for reckless and dangerous law enforcement officials who trample on the Constitution,” the unions said in a joint statement. “If Bovino is not safe for Minnesota, he is not safe for California.”
A history of friction
The backlash follows Bovino’s recent demotion and reassignment from Minnesota back to Imperial Valley. Bovino’s tenure has been marked by intense scrutiny from civil rights advocates and labor organizers.
In January 2025, Bovino drew national attention for leading high-profile immigration enforcement raids in Kern County. Critics described the operations as “flashy” and “indiscriminate,” alleging that hooded agents questioned and detained residents on their way to work while ignoring constitutional protections.
The unions also pointed to data from the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight, which previously found that under Bovino’s prior leadership in El Centro, the sector saw the highest ratio of “use of force to assault” in the nation.
Demands for accountability
The labor groups characterized Bovino’s return as a threat to the safety of working-class families who have long dealt with the impact of checkpoints and workplace raids.
“The news of Bovino’s departure from Minnesota and return to California will be little solace to working families who have endured the indignity of Border Patrol and ICE raids,” the statement read. “Working families must not accept a violent law enforcement official to return to California.”
The unions are calling for several aggressive legislative and administrative actions, including:
Congressional Rejection: Urging state and congressional leaders to reject the reassignment.Oversight: Demanding “aggressive oversight” into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) actions.Budgetary Action: Calling on the Senate to reject the DHS Appropriations bill.Impeachment: Demanding the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.Regional solidarity
The statement highlighted recent labor activism in the Midwest, noting that workers in Minneapolis organized historic work stoppages to protest Bovino’s tactics. SEIU leaders say that same spirit of solidarity is now being mobilized in California.
“For our communities and for our democracy, we demand ICE and Border Patrol out of our communities and Bovino out of a job,” the unions concluded.
Neither the U.S. Border Patrol nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to requests for comment on the reassignment.