Greg Bovino, a former border official, experienced a hero’s reception at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), overshadowing Tom Homan, a prominent figure associated with Trump’s immigration policies.

Just a day after announcing his retirement, Bovino made his way to Grapevine, Texas, where he captivated the CPAC attendees on Thursday.

Known for his controversial actions in Minneapolis, where he enforced immigration laws with a notable display of authority, Bovino was greeted with enthusiasm and admiration by the crowd.

Independent journalist Nick Sortor accompanied Bovino to the event, while Benny Johnson, a well-known political media host, introduced him on stage for a surprise appearance.

“The mainstream media dislikes him, and he’s despised by liberals. To them, he’s like Darth Vader, but to us and the America First movement, he’s a hero,” Johnson declared as Bovino, dressed in a snug black Border Patrol t-shirt, basked in the crowd’s applause.

During his tenure, under the direction of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Bovino played a significant role as the commander-at-large for the CBP in Minneapolis, where he made headlines for his stringent actions against illegal immigrants and left-wing demonstrators.

But the political backlash following the deaths of protestors Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good at the hands of federal agents resulted in Bovino being quietly pushed aside in favor of White House border czar Tom Homan.

Bovino, a 30-year veteran of the CBP, responded by announcing his decision to retire.

Homan and his team were furious at Bovino’s surprise appearance at the conference, a person familiar with his reaction told the Daily Mail.

Right-wing political commentator and host of The Benny Show, Benny Johnson and former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino attend CPAC 2026 

Former border patrol chief Greg Bovino is greeted by an attendee during the Conservative Political Action Conference

Just days earlier, Bovino criticized Homan in the New York Times, referring to accusations that he accepted a $50,000 cash bribe in a paper bag.

Attendees flocked around Bovino after he exited the stage, begging him for selfies and thanking him for his efforts to deport illegal immigrants.

When asked by the Daily Mail about his future plans, Bovino said he was unsure.

‘We’ll see what the future holds,’ he said. ‘Day one in retirement here, we’ll see. My main goal is to be a patriot like the fellow patriots are here and uphold this nation’s values and get the word out.’

The need for ‘mass deportations’ was critical, he emphasized, and spoke about his goal to get 100 million of them out of the country.

‘We got a big problem in the country with illegal aliens, I can say that really freely now,’ he said, referring to his preferred use of the phrase ‘illegal aliens’ over the ‘undocumented immigrants’ description preferred by the left.

‘They all need to go and they need to go now,’ he added.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan waves towards the crowd as he takes the stage during Conservative Political Action Conference

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino in Minneapolis, Minnesota in January 

An hour later, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan made his appearance on the CPAC stage, promising to continue the president’s tough border policies and deport criminal illegal immigrants.

Homan pointedly reminded the audience that it was President Trump that pulled Bovino out of Minneapolis because of the political backlash.

‘Greg Bovino did a great job, they all did a great job up there, but he wanted a fresh face,’ Homan said, referring to Trump.

Homan did not mention his former boss Kristi Noem during his appearance, but only had good things to say about the newly sworn-in Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.

‘Right guy, right time, right job,’ Homan said. ‘What I like about him is that he recognizes from the beginning, that he has career folks … you got all these career professionals, let them run their agencies because they got the knowledge to do it.’

Homan left the conference immediately after his appearance, but Bovino was spotted throughout the day greeting fans and taking selfies. He made an appearance on the Real America’s Voice network with host Jack Posobiec and was spotted at CPAC’s late-night VIP cigar and bourbon reception later that evening.

Trump’s former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told the Daily Mail at CPAC that he believed Bovino was a new conservative star to emphasize the importance of mass deportations.

‘I love him. He’s the man,’ Bannon said: ‘When Caesar went to pacify Gaul, he brought the Bovinos with him, right? Those are the guys that you need to bring order and discipline into chaotic situations. To me, he’s a hero. I love that guy.’