California Gov. Gavin Newsom thought he had the last laugh. He mocked outgoing Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, calling him “the smallest man who ever lived” and shared a cheeky AI-generated image of the Statue of Liberty firing him. Most headlines focused on the jab, but Bovino wasn’t laughing.
On X, Bovino hit back hard, pointing to a story Newsom seemed eager to forget.
“Gubner, now that we’re talking memories, remember that time when we found dozens of lost, trafficked illegal alien children working on a pot farm? Or have you forgotten that already as you continue to choose illegal aliens over American citizens? Just curious, pardner,” he wrote.
The reference wasn’t hyperbole. Last summer, National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles to respond to immigration protests were also sent more than 100 miles away to Coachella Valley. There, federal agents raided illegal marijuana grow sites in a sprawling operation.
The results were shocking: 361 undocumented immigrants arrested and 14 migrant children rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking, according to DHS and ICE reports. Officials described the scene as a clear case of child labor and abuse.
The raids were met with violent resistance from some protesters, including threats to federal agents, highlighting the dangerous conditions investigators confronted. Bovino’s reminder puts the spotlight back on the human cost, not political theatrics.
While Newsom delighted in public mockery, Bovino’s pointed tweet underscores that enforcement isn’t about ego. It’s about saving lives, and in this case, the children’s safety was on the line.
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