Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, called photos that appeared to show a US Border Patrol agent on horseback with a whip to deter migrants "horrific" but declined to say what the agent's actions should be punished for.
The US Border Agents on Horseback Chasing Haitian Migrants
In a recently published article in USA Today, border officials were seen pursuing Haitian migrants on horseback along the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas. A border patrol agent bends over his saddle in one picture to grasp the shirt of a fleeing guy. The migrants are seen holding plastic bags and bundles of their belongings in their hands in many pictures.
As the Haitians attempted to cross the river into the United States on Sunday afternoon, an agent yelled: "Let's go! Get out now! Back to Mexico!" The agent charged his horse toward the guys in the river, swinging what looked to be a whip or a rope.
Psaki said, "I've seen some of the footage, I don't have the full context. I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate, but I don't have additional details, and certainly, I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate," according to a published report in Yahoo News.
Democratic Lawmakers Demand Accountability
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Democrat, called the border patrol officers' conduct "pure human rights violations," cruel and illegal under both national and international law. He posted on his social media account that this requires a reversal of direction and the issuing of clear instruction on how to handle asylum-seekers humanely at our border.
The border patrol officers' conduct was "totally reprehensible," according to Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. She also tweeted that nothing justifies violence against refugees trying to seek asylum in the nation, no matter how difficult the situation in Del Rio is right now, according to a report published in NBC News.
Meanwhile, over 10,000 migrants waited to file an asylum claim under the international bridge in Del Rio after crossing the Rio Grande at a low point between Ciudad Acua, Mexico, and Del Rio, Texas. Officials from the United States and Mexico threatened on Sunday that people in the camp will be deported back to Haiti.
The Policy of CBP on the Use of Excessive Force
Excessive force by CBP law enforcement officers is absolutely forbidden, according to a January 2021 CBP use of force policy paper. However, the paper also states that agents "may use 'objectively reasonable' force only when required to carry out their law enforcement responsibilities," with the "reasonability" of any given scenario varying depending on the circumstances.
In a recently published article in The Washington Post, CBP is working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Coast Guard to transport individuals to other processing sites for removal, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The agency has transported around 3,500 people and over 3,000 for the past few days, he added.
Mayorkas also explained that the nation is dealing with a pandemic as well as a severe migratory issue. The United States continues to use the title 42 jurisdictions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To limit the spread of COVID-19, CBP has the authority under Title 42 to deport illegal migrants. It is a public health authority, not an immigration authority.
