Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, has joined other Republicans in demanding that the president and other well-known Democrats apologize to the four border patrol officials who were exonerated of whipping immigrants.
Four border patrol officers were unjustly accused of flogging a group of Haitian immigrant workers in September 2021 near the southern border.
The White House’s version of the whipping charges, according to a 500-page assessment published this week by Customs and Border Protection, was untrue.
There’s no denying that this was political, Paxton stated during an appearance on “Hannity” on Friday. And it’s terribly awful for these border guards who gave their life to protect Americans and secure our border.
“And here they are being punished, they should be commended,” the attorney general concluded. They ought to be looked after.
Instead, they risk having their careers destroyed, and they have embarrassed themselves in front of the entire American people.
And I just believe it’s extremely wrong, Paxton said to Greg Jarrett, who was stepping in for Sean Hannity.
I would anticipate that Joe Biden and other political figures would truly apologize to these men for what they have endured.
Biden responded forcefully, demanding that the cops “pay” for their treatment of Haitians in response to the photographs of agents on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urged Democrats to apologise on Facebook.
“Our courageous Border Patrol agents work to secure our border every day despite the reality that President Biden makes their duty more challenging and hazardous because of his reprehensible support for a wide-open southern border,” McCarthy said in a statement.
They should all apologise to these Border Patrol agents since President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their media allies tarnished their reputations.
“These agents were cleared of criminal wrongdoing months ago,” the statement continued, “but instead of admitting they were mistaken, the Biden administration is doubling down on baselessly attacking these agents to perpetuate their open-border agenda.”
“President Biden should provide them the resources they need and deserve to secure our southern border once and for all,” says the petitioner, “instead of disparaging the men and women tasked with protecting our border.”
Congressman Tony Gonzalez, a Republican from Texas, added his voice to the discussion by stating, “I will not stand for a politicized narrative against our Border Patrol agents.”
It is crucial that this Administration concentrates on the most crucial task at hand—securing our southern border—instead of pursuing political games.
The agents acted incompetently, dangerously, and with unnecessary force, according to a 500-page study released by Customs and Border Protection on Friday.
However, the inquiry came to the conclusion that the agents did not strike the migrants with their reins.
The investigation’s findings were released as the United States continued to deal with an increase in border crossings by migrants and allegations of law enforcement morale suffering.
Chris Magnus, commissioner of CBP, stated that the disciplinary investigation is still ongoing but declined to provide specifics regarding any sanctions imposed.
Additionally, he avoided naming the involved workers.
The report detailed the agents’ “unprofessional or dangerous behavior” toward Haitians, which included shouting obscenities and making national origin-related jokes.
Agents allegedly used excessive force against migrants who were attempting to re-enter the country with food, according to the report.
It was discovered that an agent riding a horse grabbed a man and turned him.
One agent “acted in a dangerous manner by pursuing the individual he had yelled at along the river’s edge, forcing his horse to narrowly maneuver around a small child,” the report states.
According to the report, the incident started when Texas Department of Public Security (DPS) employees who were also there requested assistance from Border Patrol.
The agents followed DPS instructions to stop migrants from crossing the river back into the US inappropriately because there was no clear command.
Magnus said in a statement on Friday that the investigation “showed there were failures to make effective decisions at different levels of the business.”
The incident was caused in part by a failure to retain command and control over the Horse Patrol Units, a lack of proper training and rules, and the general chaos of the circumstances at Del Rio at the time.
The report, according to Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, is evidence that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “doesn’t deserve to run” his agency.
In a statement to the media, Roy stated, “Today we learned what we suspected all along – the accused Border Patrol Agents in Del Rio did nothing wrong.”
“But this administration can’t miss a chance to undermine the morale of our overworked, dedicated Border Patrol for political benefit, and it imposed disciplinary action nonetheless to complete off one of the most reprehensible shows of leadership seen from any cabinet Secretary,” the author continued.
At order to replenish the limited supply of food and supplies in the improvised camp under the bridge, migrants frequently crossed into Mexico.
The idea that the migrants were being “whipped” in the initial reports was immediately refuted.
It was later made clear that the agents weren’t actually raising the leather straps to beat the migrants; instead, they were simply twirling their long reins to control the horses.
A dam area served as a crossing point for up to 15,000 migrants who camped up underneath and near the Del Rio International Bridge.
Republican politicians and leftist movement groups have expressed indignation over the camp’s filthy and underdeveloped facilities.
In the weeks that followed, some 8,000 people were swiftly ejected in accordance with a COVID-era directive called Title 42.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decided not to file charges against the officers in November.
In September, Mayorkas said that the probe would be finished in “days, not weeks.”
But since then, the Office of Personnel Responsibility of the Border Patrol has looked over pictures and spoken with agents and witnesses.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced on Thursday that he has given the go-ahead for the Texas National Guard and state officials to “apprehend” migrants and transport them to the Mexican border.
The apprehension of migrants, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, is a federal concern. Abbott is being criticized for interfering.
In a previous statement, Magnus added that the “hateful pictures” on the “very insulting” coins infuriated him and took his attention away from the crucial work of the Border Patrol.