White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Thursday that Border Patrol agents will no longer be permitted to use horses to guard the border in Del Rio, Texas, after “horrific” photos emerged of agents swinging long reins while interacting with Haitian migrants.
The announcement comes after the media caused a frenzy by falsely portraying the videos and photos as showing agents hitting the migrants with whips. It was later revealed that the agents were in fact wielding the long reins that make it easier to maintain control of their horses, according to Border Control chief Raul Ortiz.
An unnamed Border Patrol agent told Townhall’s Julio Rosas that mounted agents often twirl their reins to keep migrants at a distance so they’re not crushed underfoot.
Ortiz said that he did not believe that the reins had been used to strike any refugees and none of the photos or videos that have circulated of the interactions appear to show the reins making contact with migrants.
Still, amid mounting concerns among members of the president’s own party over the inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants, Psaki announced that the use of horses at the border will stop.
Jon Anfinsen, president of the Border Patrol union’s chapter in Del Rio, condemned the decision in a statement to Rosas on Thursday.
“The horse patrol unit is an effective means of apprehending immigrants who illegally cross our borders every day, along with searching for those who are sick or injured and stranded in the brush,” Anfinsen said. “Suspending them all for even a brief amount of time takes away one of the few remaining units that have been in the field making arrests and rescues on a regular basics.”...MORE
1 comment:
Only the most evil scumbag would blame our hard working border patrol for his own BAD policies and efforts........
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