The Department of Homeland Security has temporarily suspended the use of horse patrols after shocking images showed Border Patrol agents chasing, grabbing and whipping Haitian migrants along the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas notified civil rights leaders that the administration “would no longer be using horses in Del Rio.
Asked why President Biden hasn’t publicly condemned the treatment of the migrants, Psaki responded, “I think people should take away that his actions make clear how horrible and horrific he thinks these images are, including an investigation, including a change of policy, including conveying clearly that this is not acceptable and this is — he’s not going to stand for this in the Biden-Harris administration.”
“Our actions make that absolutely crystal clear, as have our engagements with a range of voices, a range of concerned advocates, members of Congress, and others who we want to communicate with not just about our horror, but also about what our immigration policy is moving forward.”
CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the videos and photos, and the DHS Office of Inspector General has been alerted.
The scene played out near a makeshift camp in Del Rio, a small town where a large influx of migrants from Haiti have gathered in hopes of being granted asylum.
#BREAKING: Jen Psaki announces that horses will now be BANNED from being used in Del Rio by Border Patrol agents, citing the "horrible and horrific" use of them to prevent Haitian illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S. pic.twitter.com/hlyZeJVbU2
Building a wall along the busiest stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border – the Rio Grande Valley – has proven to be much trickier than Donald Trump suggested during his presidential campaign.
That’s because land along the Rio Grande River in this area is essentially a floodplain where construction is prohibited under water treaties with Mexico. Much of the land also is owned by resident and businesses.
The Los Angeles Times examined communities along the river and found that erecting a wall presents a monumental challenge fraught with potential lawsuits from landowners, environmental groups and even Mexico.
Congress approved $1.6 billion in March to build a border wall and fencing along 100 miles of land in Texas, California and New Mexico. About 33 miles of that is in the Rio Grand Valley, where Border Patrol most needs the help.
But which border towns along the Rio Grand Valley get a wall is still unclear.
Israel Cantu Amador, who lives along the Rio Grande, said he’d rather see more Border Patrol agents than a wall.
“It’s nonsense,” the 65-year-old said. “Iron gates, wooden gates — they’re going to come through.”
Border Patrol agents are known for tracking down undocumented immigrants at the border with Mexico.
But they also save a lot of lives.
On Tuesday, Border Patrol agents rescued two drowning men in the Rio Grande near the Texas and Mexico border, Fox News reports.
The two agents were alerted to the emergency by people on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande about 50 miles south west of McAllen and 175 miles southwest of Corpus Christi.
Agents Luis Gonzalez and Abel Flores pulled the men to safety and used a patrol boat to drop them back onto the Mexican side of the river.
“We are very proud of our agents [and] their actions which ultimately prevented the loss of human life,” said Manuel Padilla Jr., the chief Border Patrol agent in the Rio Grande sector.
A 40-year-old U.S. citizen, who is a wanted sex offender and known gang member, was captured by Border Patrol agents after trying to re-enter Texas illegally.
The Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector in southern Arizona is losing its leader.
Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla Jr. is taking the helm at the agency’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, The Arizona Daily Star reports.
The Nogales native will make the shift later this month.
Under Padilla’s watch, the Tucson Sector has seen a “marked decrease” in human smuggling, border violence and other illegal activities, according to CBP.
Padilla “always felt a sense of community and made it his purpose in life to reduce cross-border criminal activity while improving the quality of life for Arizona’s residents,” a news release said.
Padilla’s career with Border Patrol began in 1986 at the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol Sector in Texas.
The FBI is trying to determine who fired shots at a Border Patrol helicopter on Friday, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing near the Mexican border.
The helicopter was carrying at least one Border Patrol agent during an operational mission along the Rio Grande near Laredo, Texas, when it came under fire, Reuters reports.
“The rounds penetrated and damaged the aircraft, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing,” Special Agent Michelle Lee told Reuters.
No one was injured, she said.
It wasn’t clear this weekend whether the shots came from the American or Mexican side of the border, which the FBI is investigating.
A Border Patrol agent is recovering from traumatic injuries after his ATV plunged over a ledge near the Rio Grande in Sanderson, Texas.
Agents from the Office of Air and Marine boarded a helicopter and rescued the agent soon after the crash.
“The safety of our officers and agents is critical. These men and women put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. We are glad to say that our air crew was able to successfully extract this individual from an extremely remote location to safety,” Supervisory Air Interdiction Agent Clay Tippit said in a press release.
The agent was treated and stabilized and then sent to a hospital via helicopter.
“We work closely with other agencies in the area especially Border Patrol. When an agent, or any individual, is injured we do everything we can to ensure an outcome such as this. Everyone worked together and got this injured agent the care that he needed. Because of that, I can gladly say that the agent has been released from the hospital and is doing well,” said Tippit.
By Steve Neavling
