The controversial former leader of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol will headline a mass deportation rally in Fishers on Aug. 1, with a counter protest planned for the same day.
Greg Bovino, once the face of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, will speak at the invitation-only rally and a private dinner in Carmel organized by Save Heritage Indiana.
The nonprofit group was founded last year by Daniel Poynter and Nathan Roberts — both self-described descendants of Mayflower passengers — to advocate against mass migration through policies like universal E-verify and mandatory cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“This gathering is for people who have decided that the time for polite silence is over,” reads an online invitation for the event. “Commander Bovino will speak directly — unfiltered, unrehearsed, and accountable to no handler.”
Both events are private.
Ashley Elrod, spokesperson for Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, said he hasn’t been “contacted by the organizers of the Save Heritage Indiana event, nor does he plan to attend the event. The Fishers Police Department will not be providing private security for the event or a counter protest, if one should occur. That said, we will continue, as we do each day, to ensure Fishers remains a safe city for all residents.”
Those wanting to attend the rally must request an invitation and pay the $50 admission to learn the location of the rally, while a private dinner at an undisclosed Carmel restaurant or home costs $500 per person, according to a promotional site for the events.
Bovino acted as commander at large of CBP, overseeing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
He retired in March, months after he was demoted amid backlash to the administration’s handling of fatal shootings of American citizens protesting federal agents in Minneapolis.
Invitations for the event describe Bovino as “silenced” by the establishment, alleging powerful Trump-aligned donors “actively block real mass deportations.”
“What Commander Bovino is prepared to disclose is not speculation,” the invitation reads. “It is testimony from a career spent inside the apparatus—and it implicates people who would prefer he remain quiet.”
Fishers Resists, a chapter of national political group Indivisible, is planning a counter march and vigil from 3-6 p.m. in Holland Park Aug. 1.
“We think that the message in the MAGA community is scapegoating immigrants and blaming them for all our problems, which is not true,” said Tom Groot, a board member for Fishers Resists.
“What we’re trying to do is make the point that we have large immigrant communities here,” he said. “We respect these folks. They have a legal status, legal right to be here, for the most part. And we want to demonstrate our solidarity with them.”
Groot said Fishers Resists, which is partnering with a dozen other advocacy groups from Indianapolis and Hamilton County to host the march, is strictly nonviolent and is coordinating with local police for the event.
“We have a security plan,” he said. “We’ll have safety marshals present during the event. We’re pretty concerned about making sure that people are safe and that the protest itself is nonviolent and doesn’t put anyone at risk of any kind of violence.”
It is unclear how many people are expected to attend the Bovino rally.
Executive Director Daniel Poynter directed the Indiana Capital Chronicle to a series of posts on X in response to questions, which says the rally is generating “intense interest,” but did not disclose how many attendees are expected.
He also did not say whether any Indiana elected officials will be in attendance, as has been suggested by fundraising emails from the Indiana Democratic Party.
The group will air video remarks from Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, according to an online invitation and X posts.
Save Heritage Indiana selected Fishers as the location for its first mass deportation rally due to the city’s central location, with many of the group’s supporters on the north side.
The location is being withheld “so our guests can have an honest conversation without being harassed by those who oppose free speech,” the group wrote on X.
“While we are a law-and-order organization, we have already received death threats and violent rhetoric from those who want to silence us. We are ensuring a safe, orderly environment for Hoosiers who care about the future of their home.”
Indiana Democrats sent a fundraising email about the event that said “Greg Bovino is a disgrace. He even thanked the ICE officer who killed an American citizen. Now, he’s headlining an event along with elected Indiana Republicans including Micah Beckwith for a new Indiana political organization aiming to ‘end all immigration’ and deport thousands of legal immigrants. It’s another reminder that this November we are facing candidates and elected officials on the other side who want armed agents on our streets, in our schools and at our workplaces.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
