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The architect of some of DHS’ most consequential immigration enforcement operations fired back at Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., after Swalwell posted a Christmas image depicting a helicopter and ICE agents converging on the Bethlehem crèche.
“May this be the last Christmas we live this nightmare,” Swalwell captioned the image, which drew widespread backlash during the Twelve Days of Christmas.
“Yes, the last Christmas where un-American pedantic dolts choose illegal aliens over US Citizens,” U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino responded, before following up by exchanging with others on social media.
Bovino then replied to a Florida woman who told Swalwell: “Yes, the nightmare was [the] last four years prior letting in everyone and their grandma. Insane [a] congressman would post this.”
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USBP Cmdr. Greg Bovino, left; Rep. Eric Swalwell, right. (Adam Gray/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Well said… Merry Christmas,” Bovino said, adding he would follow her X account.
When another critic brought up Swalwell’s alleged relationship with a Chinese spy named Fang Fang — which the congressman denies – Bovino quipped, “Oh yes, how could I forget to mention that.”
Other commentators slammed Swalwell for appearing to misstate the underlying facts of why Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem and why they fled to Egypt soon after Jesus Christ’s birth — a storyline immigration activists sometimes use to counter pro-border security arguments.
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One cited a passage from the Gospel of Luke, which recounts that Caesar Augustus ordered a census across the Roman Empire, requiring each man to return to his ancestral town. Joseph, a descendant of King David, therefore traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, David’s birthplace.
Per the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take his family and flee to Egypt, as King Herod was seeking to kill young Jesus.
Observers often debate the connection, if any, that biblical passages have to contemporary immigration policy arguments.
Immigration hawks often cite Egypt as being a province of the Roman Empire, meaning the Holy Family did not immigrate to another country as refugees in a legal sense, but to escape Herod’s rule as a provincial king installed by Rome; similar to a governor; until his death made it safe to return to Judea.
Others dispute that characterization.
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“Eric – Mary and Joseph were legal immigrants complying with the rules of the Roman Empire,” conservative activist Robby Starbuck responded to the congressman.
“Rome ordered a census and Joseph had to be counted because Bethlehem was his city; basically the opposite of illegal immigration. Lying about this is Christophobic,” he said.
Starbuck added that in the Book of Acts, God “marked out … boundaries of their lands,” which the commentator said was proof that secure borders have scriptural grounding.
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Another critic posted an image of actor Gerry Bamman as his “Uncle Frank” character sneering in the Christmas classic “Home Alone,” as if to reply to the congressman’s depiction.
Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell for comment for purposes of this story but did not hear back by press time.
