U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met privately with the horseback agents who were falsely accused of “whipping” Haitian migrants at the border in 2021. During his visit to the Del Rio Sector, Mayorkas addressed the agents involved in an incident when they were dealing with a surge of more than 10,000 migrants predominantly from Haiti. The controversy escalated as some media outlets and Democratic lawmakers misidentified the agents’ split reins, which they use to control and direct the horse, leading to false claims of “whipping” migrants.
Mayorkas initially supported the agents but later changed his message, stating that the images “troubled me profoundly” and adding that “one cannot weaponize a horse” against migrants. President Biden also fueled the already-debunked claims, angrily castigating the agents and calling for them to be punished before an investigation was completed.
A thorough investigation conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that there were no whips or whipping involved in the September incident. However, the agents were faulted for allegedly using “denigrating and offensive” language against migrants and for maneuvering a horse around a child in an “unsafe manner.” Agents were also accused of using “unnecessary force” to drive the migrants back. The incident strained the relationship between the administration and the Border Patrol, who were already dealing with an ongoing migrant crisis.
Mayorkas has since corrected additional false claims about the incident and clarified that no whipping occurred. During the private meeting with the agents, there was no apology from Mayorkas, but the agents were able to express how the incident affected their lives and careers. The tone of the meeting was reported to be professional and respectful.
The meeting took place amidst a historic surge of migrants at the border. In October alone, there were over 240,000 migrant encounters, slightly lower than the record numbers seen in September but still a record for October. The border continues to grapple with the ongoing migrant crisis.
This article was written by Adam Shaw, a politics reporter for Fox News, specializing in immigration and border security. For more political content and updates from the 2024 campaign trail, subscribe to his newsletter or follow him on Twitter.
