Bovino refers to Rommel

He sees himself as a “brother in arms”

Former Border Patrol chief draws comparison to Rommel

The concept of “remigration” is gaining traction in right-wing circles. An ex-US border guard speaks of a “creeping horror” in Europe and offers to help.

On May 30, around 500 ultra-right activists, politicians and influencers gathered in Figueira da Foz, Portugal to discuss the concept of “remigration”. Among the participants was Gregory Bovino, the former unofficial commander of the US Border Patrol. He pledged support to the European right and drew parallels between his role in the Border Patrol’s actions as part of the US government’s homeland security policy and Nazi General Erwin Rommel.

At an impromptu press conference at the start of the meeting, Bovino said: “I’m very happy to come here and provide some expertise to Europeans” to combat “illegal aliens who are destroying European culture.” In an interview with French right-wing extremist website Breizh-Info before the summit, Bovino referred to leading Nazi general Erwin Rommel as an inspirational figure. He had “unique expertise in extraordinary circumstances” that “changed the classic communication hierarchy,” said Bovino.

Because he acted similarly to him, Bovinio is controversial. “New strategic concepts – or those that have long been forgotten – inevitably attract attention as soon as they are implemented at the national or international level. Think of Rommel in Germany.”

He also offered his help to end what he described as a “creeping horror.” “If inspiration can be drawn from the U.S. Border Patrol model and methodology, then that’s fantastic,” Bovino added. The former Border Patrol chief was fired from his post after Border Patrol officers under his command shot and killed 37-year-old Renée Good in Minneapolis in January 2026. The Border Patrol, like the deportation agency ICE, is subordinate to the US Department of Homeland Security.

In an interview with the French portal “Breizh-Info”, Bovino continued to regret: “If only you (the Europeans) had the right to carry firearms. This migration problem has finally put me on your side. Brothers in arms, if you will.”

The term “remigration,” established by European right-wing extremists and intended to involve the mass deportation of immigrants and their descendants, is increasingly being heard in Trump circles. Initially kept under wraps by the extreme right-wing milieu, “Remigration” sparked nationwide outrage in the wake of reports from the investigative portal “Correctiv” about a meeting in Potsdam in 2024 and the subsequent legal dispute. The term became socially acceptable in ultra-right political discourse at the latest after it was used by AfD top candidate Alice Weidel during the campaign for the 2025 federal election.