Ex-Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino expects House Democrats to subpoena him in January

Greg Bovino, the former Border Patrol commander-at-large, says he expects House Democrats to subpoena him when they take control of Congress in January. He told Newsweek this week. A subpoena is a legal order that forces a person to testify or hand over documents. ¹

The Trump administration pushed Bovino out after a series of fatal shootings involving immigration officers. He had led high-profile enforcement operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis. ¹

Democrats put Homeland Security on notice

Tuesday's midterm elections gave Democrats control of the House. They had 253 seats as of Friday. They also won at least 54 Senate seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled. ¹

On Wednesday, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He cited the Federal Records Act, which requires agencies to keep records of government business. He asked for written assurances by November 11 that records have not been destroyed, altered or made inaccessible. ¹²

From Channel GOPThompson: Trump's DHS hid ICE killing of citizenBennie Thompson · 159 plays · captioned, with the source named

Thompson did not accuse Mullin or other officials of destroying records. He also renewed the committee's outstanding document requests. Newsweek reports those documents are due no later than December 2. ¹

The Committee intends to closely observe the compliance of the Department — and all its components — with these preservation requirements,

Thompson said DHS has repeatedly refused to cooperate with congressional oversight requests. He said Democrats will pursue those requests in the next Congress. ¹

What Democrats have already asked about

Committee Democrats had already sought records on fatal shootings during Operation Metro Surge, which Bovino and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem led. In January they asked for records, video and officer information on the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. ¹

They are also looking into DHS's purchase of 10 aircraft from Daedalus Aviation, whose chief executive had donated to Noem. They kept seeking records from Mullin in October. ¹

Bovino has faced scrutiny before. In Chicago, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered him to testify in a use-of-force case. She later wrote that he had appeared "evasive" in his deposition. ¹

The administration's response

A DHS spokesperson said the agency "responds to official correspondence through official channels." DHS General Counsel James Percival dismissed the effort. ¹

It is unfortunate that Democrats are more interested in political shenanigans than in governing.

What happens next

Thompson chaired the committee from 2019 through 2023 and wants the gavel back in January. He said Democrats would examine immigration policies, the use of DHS authority against Americans, and allegations of improper self-dealing. ¹

In the Senate, Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire is expected to lead the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She has started recruiting investigators and oversight lawyers. ¹

That matters because it shows oversight aimed at named officials, not only at policies. Bovino says he expects a subpoena, but none has been issued. Committees cannot issue one until Democrats hold the gavels in January. ¹

The Record

1. Jan 12, 2026Minneapolis conference call at which Bovino allegedly made remarks about a U.S. attorney's Sabbath observance, per CBS News sources cited by Newsweek ¹
2. Nov 4, 2026Rep. Bennie Thompson sends DHS a records-preservation letter seeking written assurances by November 11 ¹²
3. Nov 6, 2026Bovino tells Newsweek he expects a House Democratic subpoena ¹

Free to reprint Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

<h2>Ex-Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino expects House Democrats to subpoena him in January</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Investigations Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/ex-border-patrol-chief-greg-bovino-expects-house-democrats-to-subpoena-him-in-january">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 6, 2026.</em></p> <p>Greg Bovino, the former Border Patrol commander-at-large, says he expects House Democrats to subpoena him when they take control of Congress in January. He told Newsweek this week. A subpoena is a legal order that forces a person to testify or hand over documents.</p> <p>The Trump administration pushed Bovino out after a series of fatal shootings involving immigration officers. He had led high-profile enforcement operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis.</p> <h2>Democrats put Homeland Security on notice</h2> <p>Tuesday&#39;s midterm elections gave Democrats control of the House. They had 253 seats as of Friday. They also won at least 54 Senate seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled.</p> <p>On Wednesday, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He cited the Federal Records Act, which requires agencies to keep records of government business. He asked for written assurances by November 11 that records have not been destroyed, altered or made inaccessible.</p> <p>Thompson did not accuse Mullin or other officials of destroying records. He also renewed the committee&#39;s outstanding document requests. Newsweek reports those documents are due no later than December 2.</p> <blockquote><p>The Committee intends to closely observe the compliance of the Department — and all its components — with these preservation requirements,</p><p>&mdash; Bennie Thompson, Ranking Democrat, House Homeland Security Committee, D-Mississippi</p></blockquote> <p>Thompson said DHS has repeatedly refused to cooperate with congressional oversight requests. He said Democrats will pursue those requests in the next Congress.</p> <h2>What Democrats have already asked about</h2> <p>Committee Democrats had already sought records on fatal shootings during Operation Metro Surge, which Bovino and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem led. In January they asked for records, video and officer information on the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.</p> <p>They are also looking into DHS&#39;s purchase of 10 aircraft from Daedalus Aviation, whose chief executive had donated to Noem. They kept seeking records from Mullin in October.</p> <p>Bovino has faced scrutiny before. In Chicago, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered him to testify in a use-of-force case. She later wrote that he had appeared &quot;evasive&quot; in his deposition.</p> <h2>The administration&#39;s response</h2> <p>A DHS spokesperson said the agency &quot;responds to official correspondence through official channels.&quot; DHS General Counsel James Percival dismissed the effort.</p> <blockquote><p>It is unfortunate that Democrats are more interested in political shenanigans than in governing.</p><p>&mdash; James Percival, General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security</p></blockquote> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Thompson chaired the committee from 2019 through 2023 and wants the gavel back in January. He said Democrats would examine immigration policies, the use of DHS authority against Americans, and allegations of improper self-dealing.</p> <p>In the Senate, Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire is expected to lead the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She has started recruiting investigators and oversight lawyers.</p> <p>That matters because it shows oversight aimed at named officials, not only at policies. Bovino says he expects a subpoena, but none has been issued. Committees cannot issue one until Democrats hold the gavels in January.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/ex-border-patrol-chief-greg-bovino-expects-house-democrats-to-subpoena-him-in-january">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/ex-border-patrol-chief-greg-bovino-expects-house-democrats-to-subpoena-him-in-january.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

Copy the HTML Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

1. Newsweek, “Ex-Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino Says He Expects Democrat Subpoena” (2026-11-06). newsweek.com/ex-border-patrol-commander-greg-bovino-says-he-
2. House Homeland Security Committee Democrats, “Thompson Demands DHS Comply with All Document Preservation Requirements” (2026-11-04). democrats-homeland.house.gov/news/correspondence/thompson-de

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.