The Biden administration admitted Friday that Texas Border Patrol officers were falsely accused of “whipping” Haitian migrants last year, but still referred four officers to discipline them in connection with the incident. viral September 2021.
In a 511-page report, the U.S. Office of Customs and Border Protection said it had found no evidence that [Border Patrol agents] involved in this incident hit, intentionally or not, any migrant with their reins, “although he did say the officers had used” unnecessary “force.
“From the investigation it is clear that the decisions made by some of the agencies’ leaders and the lack of proper policies and training contributed to the incident, ”CBP commissioner Chris Magnus told reporters. “But there is no justification for the actions of some of our staff, including unprofessional and deeply offensive conduct.”
The Daily Caller reported Friday before that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has proposed accusing officers of “misjudgment” and “unsafe conduct” in connection with the viral incident, though those suggestions have not yet been made. concretized.
In widely circulated photographs, agents were shown using their horses to prevent migrants from illegally crossing the Rio Grande into the United States from Mexico.
Agents were later wrongly accused of deploying the reins to whip the fleeing migrants.
CBP agents in South Texas were accused of using horsepower to “whip” Haitians who tried to enter the United States illegally in September 2021. AFP through Getty Images Customs and U.S. Border Protection has proposed accusing officers of “bad judgment” and “insecurity.” conduct. ” AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden addressed the controversy at the time and repeated the false claims of “whips.”
“Seeing people treated the way they did, horses barely running over, people tied up, it’s outrageous,” Biden told reporters. “I promise these people will pay.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also harshly condemned the actions of the agents, who said they reminded him of “slavery times”.
Officers on horseback were using their animals to block the entry of migrants. REUTERS
The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security eventually refused to file criminal charges against Texas agents, and turned the matter over to the OPR.
Ahead of Friday’s press conference, Border Patrol union chairman Brandon Judd accused the Biden administration of carrying out “successful political work” with agents.
“Unfortunately, the president made this the show he has become,” Judd told The Post in a text message. “If I had kept my mouth shut and let the process unfold as it should have been instead of judging before the facts came, we wouldn’t be discussing this right now.”
Last month, Judd told The Post that Biden’s initial comments set the tone for the investigation.
President Biden and other top Democrats rushed to charge the agents with crimes. AFP via Getty Images
“You had a president of the United States, without any proof, without any investigation, he said,‘ They will pay, ’” Judd said at the time.
“By the time he said that, [probers] he had to find some kind of fault. They had no choice. Because [the investigators] they are employees of the executive branch, they will not do against the president of the United States. It’s not hard to try to generate some kind of load. “