Thread: 'Imminent': Biden admin to announce disciplinary action against Border Patrol agents

'Imminent': Biden admin to announce disciplinary action against Border Patrol agents falsely accused of whipping migrants

CHRIS ENLOE July 08, 2022

The Biden administration will imminently announce disciplinary action against the Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of "whipping" Haitian migrants in Texas last year.

What are the details?

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, who extensively covers immigration, reported late Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security has prepared "disciplinary proposals" for the agents involved in the incident.

An announcement from Customs and Border Protection disclosing the disciplinary findings against the agents is "imminent," according to Melugin.



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NEW: Per federal source, CBP has sent out the disciplinary proposals for the horseback Border Patrol agents who have been under investigation for claims of “whipping” Haitian migrants in Del Rio, & an announcement from CBP on their administrative findings is “imminent”. @FoxNews

7:25 PM · Jul 7, 2022

On Friday, the Daily Caller reported that it had obtained the documents that outline the disciplinary actions. The documents show that officials have recommended two "charges" against the agents involved.

The first charge levied is for "poor judgement," according to the Daily Caller, because the agents allegedly told the migrants "to go back to Mexico, or words to that effect." The second charge is for "unsafe conduct," because at least one agent maneuvered his horse "in a way that caused a noncitizen to fall backward into the Rio Grande River ... thereby compromising the safety of the noncitizen, yourself, and your horse."

"You knew or should have known that using your horse to block a noncitizen from exiting the water at the boat ramp created an unsafe situation, particularly for the noncitizen, but also for you and your horse," the charges purportedly add.

The disciplinary proposals also reportedly scold the agents for having "received significant media attention," which "had a negative impact on the reputation" of the Border Patrol.

Anything else?

After the Border Patrol agents were falsely accused of using horse reins to whip migrants, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas promised swift consequences for the agents involved. Biden even vowed the agents "will pay" for their actions.

However, the investigation has been anything but swift. Three months ago, it was reported that the DHS inspector general had cleared the agents of criminal wrongdoing, but last month Melugin reported the Biden administration would punish the agents anyway.

The Daily Caller reported that an announcement about disciplinary action could come as soon as Friday.

'Imminent': Biden admin to announce disciplinary action against Border Patrol agents falsely accused of whipping migrants - TheBlaze

EXCLUSIVE: Here Are The Biden Admin‘s Proposed Charges Against Border Agents Accused Of ‘Whipping’ Migrants



U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proposed two charges against the Border Patrol agents involved in the alleged “whipping” of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The first charge is for “poor judgment” for instructing noncitizens “to go back to Mexico, or words to that effect,” while the second is for “unsafe conduct” for maneuvering the agent’s horse “in a way that caused a noncitizen to fall backward into the Rio Grande River … thereby compromising the safety of the noncitizen, yourself, and your horse.”

These proposals are not yet final, and CBP is expected to announce the results of its investigation into the agents as soon as Friday, according to people familiar with the matter not authorized to speak publicly. It’s unclear how many agents will be charged.

“You knew or should have known that using your horse to block a noncitizen from exiting the water at the boat ramp created an unsafe situation, particularly for the noncitizen, but also for you and your horse,” the charges read.

“We consider that your misconduct received significant media attention and had a negative impact on the reputation of the Agency,” the charges added.

The alleged “whipping” took place in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, when thousands of Haitian migrants were present under the international bridge. The accused agents were on horseback and seen in images appearing to use their horses’ reins to steer and encircle the migrants so they would turn back.

Several Democratic politicians characterized the images as “whipping,” as well as some migrant advocacy groups and human rights organizations. The White House also repeatedly condemned the behavior of the agents that day.



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US Border Patrol agents try to stop Haitian migrants entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas.US says it will ramp up deportation flights for migrants flooding into Del Rio as authorities scramble to alleviate a burgeoning crisis Paul Ratje
















9:30 PM · Sep 19, 2021

CBP sent out proposed disciplinary actions, an anonymous Department of Homeland Security source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told the DCNF. An announcement on the results of the investigation is “imminent,” according to Fox News.

“From the beginning, they had been convicted by the White House and DHS, so we figured something was coming,” National Border Patrol Council President for the Del Rio border sector Jon Anfinsen previously told the DCNF.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas promised to complete the investigation in “days, not weeks.” But, the results have yet to be shared nearly a year later.

“But for them to claim that it was going to be resolved in days and weeks was, frankly, a joke from the beginning to decide if these guys had done something wrong, despite no investigation having been done. So they’re trying to save face and propose some kind of discipline just so they can justify their claims from day one,” Anfinsen said.

Neither CBP nor DHS responded to the DCNF’s requests for comment.

EXCLUSIVE: Here Are The Biden Admin‘s Proposed Charges Against Border Agents Accused Of ‘Whipping’ Migrants | The Daily Caller

Biden should be locked up for Treason! He has failed to secure our border and the safety of our country.

Drugs, diseases, cartel, gangs, rapists, murderers, terrorists are pouring over our border!

A whole list of charges should be brought against Biden, Harris, Mayorkas, Pelosi and Schumer!

Mounted Border Patrol Agents Did Not Whip Haitian Migrants, DHS Report Finds



by RANDY CLARK 8 Jul 2022

Border Patrol agents on horseback did not whip or strike migrants with their reins during a mass migration event in Del Rio, Texas, in September 2021. Customs and Border Protection officials released the findings of an Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) investigation on Friday. In addition to training and policy changes, the findings will still be used to pursue formal disciplinary actions against four mounted agents.

The announcement and release of the investigative report comes nearly nine months after the incidents in question. The investigation began shortly after the September 2021 incident near an outdoor encampment under a bridge holding roughly 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants. Ultimately, more than 30,000 migrants entered the United States in Del Rio in what would become the largest mass migration event in the agency’s history.

Activities conducted by Border Patrol agents during the migration event were captured on video and still photography by freelance journalist Paul Ratje. The images were widely circulated and sparked claims that agents were whipping migrants. Further examination, however, led many to concede the images showed agents using long reins to control the horses.



A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021. – The United States said Saturday it would ramp up deportation flights for thousands of migrants who flooded into the Texas border city of Del Rio, as authorities scramble to alleviate a burgeoning crisis for President Joe Biden’s administration. (Photo by PAUL RATJE / AFP) (Photo by PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images)




A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback uses the reins to try and stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021. – The United States said Saturday it would ramp up deportation flights for thousands of migrants who flooded into the Texas border city of Del Rio, as authorities scramble to alleviate a burgeoning crisis for President Joe Biden’s administration. (Photo by PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images)

In a subsequent news interview, Ratje told a reporter, “I’ve never seen them whip anyone.” Ratje added, “He was swinging [the reins], but it can be misconstrued when you’re looking at the picture.”

President Joe Biden abruptly condemned the actions during a press conference: “It’s horrible what you see, what you saw, to see people treated like they did, horses really running them over, people being strapped. I promise you; those people will pay.”

The investigation concluded that there were failures at multiple levels of the agency, such as a lack of appropriate training and dangerous behavior by several agents. The investigation found no evidence that agents struck any person with reins.

The findings show that Border Patrol failed to appropriately task, supervise, and exercise command over the Horse Patrol Units in Del Rio. According to the report, the Texas Department of Public Safety had requested the Horse Patrol in an operation along the Rio Grande.

The report asserts several agents used force or the threat of force to attempt to drive migrants back into the Rio Grande towards the U.S.-Mexico Border. No evidence is presented to show that any migrants were ultimately forced to return to Mexico or denied entry to the United States.

The report notes multiple instances in which agents acted inappropriately during the incident, including one who was found to have used denigrating language while aggressively maneuvering his horse near a child.

CBP convened a Discipline Review Board (DRB) to consider the individual conduct of four agents involved in the incident and has proposed disciplinary actions. The four agents have been performing administrative duties since the investigation began.

Under the Border Patrol’s collective bargaining agreement, the agents will now be afforded the right to contest the findings.

According to a source within CBP not authorized to speak to media, the employees are facing a suspension without pay for fewer than 14 days.

Mounted Border Patrol Agents Did Not Whip Haitian Migrants, DHS Report Finds (breitbart.com)