Emails reveal possible command structure for immigration Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who until recently was the face of immigration enforcement operations across the country, had a boss.

In emails newly obtained by ABC News, Bovino said it wasn't the head of Customs and Border Protection.

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Instead, Bovino said he reported to the Department of Homeland Security and Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee with no known law enforcement experience, the emails showed.

"We had no idea that Corey Lewandowski was a figure in this scenario. Lewandowski as the guy in charge of Midway blitz comes completely of left field. Doesn't make any logical sense," said Locke Bowman, a Chicago civil rights attorney.

Bowman deposed Bovino for a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, representing protestors, clergy and the media, arguing agents used excessive force during immigration operations.

"When Mr. Bovino was in the deposition room, sworn to tell the truth, I asked him, 'Who's your boss?'" Bowman said.

In the recording of the deposition, Bovino replied, "Secretary Kristi Noem."

"He didn't say a word about Corey Lewandowski, and the news that we're hearing now that Mr. Lewandowski was apparently his boss in connection with Operation midway Blitz, comes to me as a complete surprise," Bowman told the I-Team. "It's not consistent with his sworn testimony."

Lewandowski, the former campaign manager for President Donald Trump in 2016, is now a special government employee with no official role at DHS. He is known to be DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's defacto chief of staff and is a conservative political operative with no known background in law enforcement.

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A watchdog group sued to learn more about his role, and a congressional oversight committee has raised serious concerns.

"I'm not aware that Corey Lewandowski has one iota of experience directing large scale law enforcement operations," stated Bowman.

Those emails show the tensions between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP in the days leading up to large-scale enforcement operations in Chicago.

Bovino, writing of the acting director of ICE, said "Mr. Lyons said he was in charge, and corrected him saying i reported to Corey Lewandowski. Mr. Lyons seemed intent that CBP conduct targeted operations for at least two weeks before transitioning to full scale immigration enforcement. I declined his suggestion. We ended the conversation shortly thereafter."

Bowman characterized the emails as revealing, saying, "Bovino was all about the theater the chain of command was advocating for targeted operations at the same time, but the person, unfortunately, that Bovino was listening to was Corey Lewandowski, the political theater guy, and not Lyons and others who are part of the ordinary chain of command in ICE."

The Department of Homeland Security replied to the I-Team in an email, saying, "As Border Czar Homan and Secretary Noem have both said numerous times, ICE conducts targeted operations to remove public safety threats from this country-any individual illegally in that country is on the table. We cannot confirm the veracity of these emails."