Newly released evidence shows that Gregory Bovino, a former border patrol chief who led the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts, praised a federal agent who shot a US citizen in Chicago last year. Marimar Martinez was shot five times by border patrol agent Charles Exum in October while in her vehicle. She was charged with a felony after the Department of Homeland Security accused her of trying to ram agents, but the case was dismissed after video evidence showed an agent had steered his vehicle into her car.
Text messages released this week after a protective order was lifted reveal that Bovino sent encouragement to Exum hours after the shooting. “In light of your excellent service in Chicago, you have much yet left to do!!” Bovino wrote in an email urging Exum to delay his retirement.
The incident comes amid growing public disapproval of the administration's immigration policies. An NBC/SurveyMonkey poll found that 49% of American adults strongly disapprove of the Trump administration's handling of border security and immigration, up from 34% in a similar poll last April.
In other news, the House voted 219-211 to block Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada, a rare rebuke of the White House by the Republican-controlled chamber. The resolution, which next goes to the Senate, seeks to end the national emergency declared to impose the tariffs, though overturning the policy would require Trump's support.
Meanwhile, US jobs rose by 130,000 in January, beating expectations of 70,000, with the unemployment rate dipping to 4.3% from 4.4% in December.
