Border Patrol is Under Assault
Did you read the Report of Investigation that U.S. Customs and Border Protection released regarding the U.S. Border Patrol’s Horse Patrol in Del Rio Texas? For context, you must remember the background. In spring of 2021 DHS Secretary Mayorkas covertly decided to exempt Haitian illegal aliens from Title 42 COVID expulsions. In July he publicly announces that Haitians are being granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). In laymen’s terms that means catch and release (into the U.S.) is in full force for Haitians. Word spreads via social media, word of mouth and by the cartel’s recruiters faster than it took you to read this document this far. The result: tens of thousands of Haitians rushing to the U.S. Mexico border and flooding the small, previously quite border town of Del Rio, TX. The numbers swelled and quite literally overran the banks of the Rio Grande. U.S. Border Patrol was completely outnumbered and overwhelmed. The Cartels were ecstatic as this left millions in their pockets and hundreds of miles of border wide open for smuggling anything or anybody they wanted into the U.S.
Haitians in Del Rio, Texas
The U.S. Border Patrol, the State of Texas and nearly every media outlet pulled resources from other areas to address the crisis that Biden and Mayorkas had created. On September 19th, 2021, a video of Border Patrol agents on horseback, accompanied by a completely inaccurate narrative went viral. President Biden and Vice President Harris publicly passed judgement against the agents. Many elected leaders on one side of the isle jumped on the bandwagon lashing out and convicting the agents; all without any consideration to the facts, due process, or the chaos that Biden and Mayorkas had personally created and forced the agents into. Well at least Mayorkas promised a thorough and rapid investigation!
On July 8th, 2022, almost nine months later, the Commissioner of CBP held a press conference and released the report of investigation. On a good note, Commissioner Magnus was forced to admit that there was zero evidence to support the initial allegation that agents were whipping people. But the President and Vice President already convicted the agents and promised that “they would pay”. CBP must discipline someone in Border Patrol for something!
So, to save face they dug deep, and their decisions not only threaten the agents involved but also threaten the security of the United States in an unprecedented way. While I believe the comments that one agent made about the conditions in Haiti and the use of women as shield were not necessary, in the context of the chaos, blatant disrespect for American laws, law enforcement and the conditions that these agents were working in, I do not believe it shocks the conscious of any rational American or meets any meaningful criteria that the discipline of these agents should result in sanctions beyond a verbal admonishment. The criticism that agents were using a tactical radio channel that is not recorded ignores the reality of the border environment, the lack of appropriate funding for years and exposes the ignorance of the investigators and the Commissioner whom I suspect neither have ever had to clean their boots. The most egregious finding is that the agents used unnecessary force by simply patrolling the riverbank and moving their horses back and forth to deter the illegal entry of aliens into the United States. Also known as doing their job! The agents are also convicted of placing a young child’s safety at risk by riding their horses in proximity. These allegations ignore the fact that thousands of aliens were committing a crime, specifically violating 8 USC 1235 by illegally entering the U.S. and that the assumed parents of the child had brought him/her across the river illegally. Again, the agents were doing their job to prevent an illegal entry.
Publicly crucifying these agents for doing their job not only threatens the morale of all agents, but it also fundamentally changes our ability to protect America by securing our borders. In case you missed it, this report of investigation is setting a new precedent that Border Patrol agents do not have the authority, or responsibility to deter or stop someone illegally entering our home. Even you have that authority in your personal home! Why pay for highly sophisticated Ports of Entry if we are going to let people enter our home anywhere and at any time? Why pay for highly trained law enforcement personnel and all their equipment to patrol our border if all they can do is greet people with a smile and send them on their way, to your town.
What do we expect a U.S. Border Patrol Agent to do? So, who is really under assault, Border Patrol or America?