Border Patrol chief’s greatcoat sparks comparisons and online debate

The long Army-green greatcoat worn by Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official leading operations in Minneapolis, has become a flashpoint in online debate over ICE’s role in recent deportation actions. The coat — a long, double-breasted Army-green greatcoat with wide lapels, big metallic buttons, epaulets and arm insignia — stood out amid bomber jackets and tactical vests and drew immediate historical comparisons.

The garment's ties to World War I and II military dress, and in particular its association for some viewers with the German military under Hitler, helped fuel Gestapo comparisons after a Department of Homeland Security video set to Coldplay’s "Viva la Vida" featured Mr. Bovino with the subtitle "We Will Not Be Stopped." California’s governor Gavin Newsom posted on X linking the video to concerns about authoritarianism.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, wrote in an email that the coat was part of a "standard-issue Border Patrol winter dress uniform" and that Mr. Bovino has worn it "since 1999," though a 2025 Border Patrol uniform document does not list a greatcoat.

Ms. McLaughlin also said that "manufacturing fake outrage and likening law enforcement to the Nazis or Gestapo is incredibly dangerous," attributing part of an increase in assaults on law enforcement to the issue.

Key Topics

Politics, Gregory Bovino, U.s. Border Patrol, Minneapolis, Greatcoat