The former US border patrol chief who became the public face of the highly controversial deportation drive in Minneapolis earlier this year has defended the operation, describing the withdrawal of agents from the city as a "surrender" by the Trump administration.

In an interview with the BBC, Greg Bovino also said he was "not responding" to a lawsuit filed by the family of a woman shot dead during the operation. He appeared to dismiss the legal action, praising the officers deployed to Minneapolis and saying "people do lawsuits all the time".

Bovino, 56, was removed from his role shortly after the fatal shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.

The two shootings, which were captured on video, triggered a bipartisan backlash and widespread protests.…