The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has declined to investigate claims that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents whipped migrants illegally attempting to enter the United States.
Back in September, Vice News tweeted footage showing CBP agents on horseback confronting Haitian migrants near Del Rio, Texas. (RELATED: Time to Debunk the Narrative That Border Patrol Agents Whipped Migrants)
To uninformed, casual observers, it appeared that law enforcement brutally attacked civilians. Yet none of the footage showed agents whipping anyone. Ranchers even explained to the local press that the agents had used split reins to better control their horses. Furthermore, they emphasized that when agents swung their reins in the air it was to quickly maneuver the horse in front of migrants who didn’t heed their commands. According to their interview with KTSM 9 News El Paso, only one officer reached for a migrant and only after that individual attempted to gain control of their police horse—a dangerous situation for all parties.
Here’s How the Media Responded
Despite these explanations, the mainstream media fueled the narrative that what people were seeing was another example of police brutality.
Articles like “Time to End Border Patrol’s History of Migrant Brutality” in the Los Angeles Times and “What Black People Saw When Border Patrol Whipped Haitians on Horseback” in Vice succinctly captured the media’s bias.
Soon the Biden administration jumped on the bandwagon. Misidentifying the split reins as whips, the president told reporters “I promise you, those people will pay. There will be an investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences.”
SEE ALSO: Officials Knew Truth About Migrant Surge That Overwhelmed Border Patrol and Did Nothing
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that mounted police used long reins as a tool. But even he said that the pictures “horrified” him.
Mayorkas later acknowledged that he spoke to reporters “without having seen the images.”
Now, the decision by the DHS’s inspector general to not investigate suggests IG Joseph Cuffari doesn’t believe anything worth investigating occurred. And almost certainly nothing serious.
Instead, CBP takes the lead on the slow-moving investigation.
Will Justice Ultimately Prevail?
The Washington Examiner reports:
CBP investigators within its Office of Professional Responsibility have yet to reach a conclusion in an investigation into the conduct of the accused Border Patrol agents nearly two months after Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas promised immediate results.
Mayorkas vowed while testifying before Congress days after the Sept. 19 incident to conclude in “a matter of days, not weeks” whether agents were too aggressive and whipped a Haitian migrant attempting to illegally cross the border in Del Rio, Texas.
In a highly publicized incident that took place as 20,000 Haitian migrants streamed across the Rio Grande from Mexico over a period of days in September, mounted agents were photographed and filmed attempting to prevent people from walking across. The migrants ignored verbal orders to turn around, and the mounted agents rode along the riverbank where migrants tried to get by them.
SEE ALSO: Bill Maher Lambastes Media for Overhyping COVID Fears
One agent was accused by third parties on social media of whipping a migrant. Before any investigation into the incident had been undertaken, top administration officials condemned the federal law enforcement agent. Later, video evidence showed that the whipping did not occur.
How confident are you that Customs and Border Protection will fully exonerate the agents under investigation? Let us know in the comments below, and while you’re at it, tell us what other border-related content you’d like to see!
Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C., metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.
Seems to me the First time Biden said people will pay, innocent civilians including 7 children died. If I lived in the Del Rio area I would seek cover if a drone flys into town.