United States President Joe Biden expressed his disappointment of border patrol agents on Friday after supporting false "whipping" allegations that have been proven to be inaccurate, telling the country he would make the individuals "pay."
On Sunday, photographs of agents riding horseback that were seemingly whipping Haitian immigrants went viral. However, officials, agents, and the one who took the photographs quickly debunked the claims, arguing that agents were using trained strategies to control their horses. On the other hand, activists and several Democratic officials have fueled allegations that the agents were being violent towards the refugees.
Joe Biden vs. Border Patrol Agents
A day later, Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, and Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz had criticized the false allegations against border patrol agents. They expressed their disappointment after the White House called the photographs "disgusting" and argued that agents were "weaponizing" their horses against refugees.
Authorities later ordered an investigation, which has forced involved agents to shift to desk-work, to look into the legitimacy of the claims that many have been making after seeing the pictures. On Friday, the Democratic president weighed in on the issue without properly discussing with concerned individuals and without letting the investigation finish, Fox News reported.
"To see people treated like they did, horses barely running over, people being strapped - It's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay. There will be an investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences," Biden said during his address.
With more and more people criticizing border patrol agents over the viral images, the DHS announced on Thursday that the use of horses in the Del Rio area was suspended. The United States federal government has extended the use of the policy signed under former President Donald Trump's administration that expelled undocumented immigrants quickly.
Mayorkas said on Friday that the expulsions were based on concerns and fears of the risks of the coronavirus pandemic on public health. The official said that the decisions were not the kind of immigration policy that they embraced, BBC reported.
Haitian Immigrants in the United States
After the release of the viral photographs showing the border patrol agents on horseback and immigrants, groups of Haitians and their supporters rallied in downtown Boston on Friday. The demonstrators expressed their frustrations at the brutal treatment of Haitian migrants at the border.
More than 100 people gathered in front of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building while holding signs that read "Haitian Lives Matter" and "End Anti-Blackness." The protesters also chanted "Stop the flights" and "We deserve better."
Boston Democrat and State Rep. Brandy Fluker was one of the people urging President Biden to grant protection to Haitian migrants. The official said that sending back refugees to the Caribbean nation would be "disrespectful" while the nation was still in chaos after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July and a massive earthquake in August.
Several Haitian community leaders in the nation have argued that migrants from the most recent treks were starting to make their way into the Boston area. The region is home to the third-largest Haitian diaspora community in the United States, the Associated Press reported.
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