Customs, Border and Immigration News

‘Should Be Celebrating Them’: Biggs Asks Mayorkas Not to Punish Border Agents Accused of ‘Whipping’ Migrants

Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday urging him against punishing the Border Patrol agents accused of “whipping” migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in September.

“Disciplining the agents would be an insult to men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol who work each day to protect our nation in spite of the policies being implemented by the Biden administration,” Biggs wrote in the letter, signed by 25 other House Republicans.

Letter to Secretary Mayorka… by Daily Caller News Foundation

The agents accused of whipping migrants are set to be punished for “administrative violations,” according to Fox News. The agents were seen in September responding to the thousands of Haitian migrants that showed up under the international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, seeking to enter the U.S.

Shortly after the incident, images appearing to show the agents using the reins of their horses to steer and encircle the migrants to get them to turn back to Mexico began circulating, which some people perceived as whipping.

Paul Ratje, the photographer who took the pictures, said at the time that he didn’t see anyone being whipped.

“He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you’re looking at the picture,” Ratje said after the incident.

Biggs also voiced his frustration with the Biden administration’s reversals of many of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, saying the moves show Biden’s “pandering” to “radical, far-left, open borders supporters,” according to the letter.

Mayorkas promised the investigation into the “whipping” incident would be “in days, if not weeks,” which Biggs criticized.

“It has been nearly nine months since you made that statement. Your failure to follow through on that promise has up-ended the lives of the agents involved and harmed their reputations,” Biggs wrote.

Biggs argued that the Biden administration has prioritized punishing the agents over efforts to secure the border.

“Punishing Border Patrol agents for trying to secure the border sends the message to all DHS employees that they will be punished for doing their jobs. Instead of punishing the agents, you should be celebrating them,” Biggs concluded, asking for a briefing on the investigation into the alleged whipping by June 24.

The DHS did not immediately respond to request for comment by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Blake Mauro contributed to this report.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org

Jennie Taer

Share
Published by
Jennie Taer

Recent Posts

The US Has Just Bombed Iran

After months of doing everything diplomatically possible to avoid direct US involvement in the war…

23 hours ago

The Democrat’s Insincere Condemnations of Dangerous Political Language

We’re at a tipping point in our country, if we continue with this increasingly violent…

1 day ago

China Tries Getting Rich In America’s Backyard

Some major Chinese companies are attempting to gain a foothold in new markets such as…

1 day ago

Trump May Have Secret Weapon To Ram DOGE Cuts Past Timid GOP Senators

The White House might leverage an obscure procedural tool to push through billions in spending…

1 day ago

Champions Of The Illegals Look More Like Chumps

Three of the best the Democrats have to offer appeared before Congress last week to…

1 day ago

Supreme Court Delivers Blow To California Climate Zealots

The Supreme Court sided Friday with oil companies seeking to challenge California’s electric vehicle regulations.…

1 day ago