Joe Biden Blasted by Kevin McCarthy Over Horse-Mounted Border Patrol Agents Punishment: 'Agents Deserve a President Who Will Support Them'
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy slammed President Joe Biden over reports of punishing the horse-mounted Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of "whipping" Haitian migrants.
Speaking with the Daily Mail on Wednesday, McCarthy noted that Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was "simply wrong" to move forward in disciplining the agents who were absolved of "whipping" claims. The Republican lawmaker said the agents deserve a better leader.
"Border patrol agents deserve a president who will support them, not smear them - which is exactly what President Biden did when he promised, without knowing the facts, that agents would 'pay' for the false allegations of 'whipping' migrants," McCarthy told the outlet.
With the DHS reported to go forward in handing out the punishments, the House Minority leader accused the president of "targeting" the agents and "smearing" those in the agency who were wrongly accused of whipping the migrants.
Biden was outraged by the alleged whipping incident. He previously promised that those responsible would be brought to justice and "make them pay."
Border Patrol Agents 'Furious' After Reports About Punishment Over 'Whipping' Claims Came Out
Some Border Patrol agents expressed outrage at reports that the DHS will punish multiple agents for the debunked "whipping" claims.
"I am through being surprised," one agent told Fox News. Another described the DHS plan as a "f****** bulls****," adding that the border patrol agents in question did nothing wrong.
Some agents also told the outlet that they are either retiring early or know fellow agents who also plan to retire early due to how the job is now. They noted that many agents were also pushed into processing migrants rather than being out in the field.
National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told Fox News that the executive branch was weaponizing the Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility (ORP) to go after what Biden perceives as political opponents.
Judd noted that the president does not like the Border Patrol and its mission.
"And now he is going after these agents because he panders to open border activists. This should never happen in this country," he told the outlet.
Representative Tony Gonzales tweeted that the Border Patrol agents put their lives on the line every single day to make the migrants and Americans safe.
Gonzales added that he would not stand for the "false and politicized" narrative against Border Patrol agents who were cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
Our BP put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety of all-Americans & migrants alike.
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) June 15, 2022
I will not stand for this false & politicized narrative against our agents who have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing after a thorough investigation. https://t.co/i0ero0Jhxq
DHS Wants to Punish Horse-Mounted Border Patrol Agents Accused of 'Whipping' Haitian Migrants
A federal source told Fox News that the DHS would offer proposals to discipline the Border Patrol agents, who will have a chance to defend themselves. The source noted that the announcement on the matter is expected in the coming days.
The charges will be "administrative violations" and not criminal, which the border agents were cleared of earlier this year.
In September, horse-mounted Border Patrol agents were photographed chasing Haitian migrants along the Rio Grande in Texas. The agents were trying to stop the migrants from entering the country.
In one case, an agent on horseback grabbed onto a migrant's shirt. The photo sparked different opinions and speculations from U.S. officials.
Many Democrats and media outlets falsely described the border agents' long reins, which they use to control their horses, as "whips."
Some administration officials quickly condemned the agents even before an investigation had been undertaken. But witnesses and other officials defended the agents in question, with some saying that the whipping did not occur.
The photographer of the said images, Paul Ratje, earlier said he never saw the agents whipping anyone, although he saw some agents swinging the long reins of their horses. The DHS declined to press criminal charges last November.
The ORP has spent the intervening months reviewing photographs and interviewing agents and witnesses. The OPR noted that the agents whose behavior is in question would be awarded "due process" and given a chance to respond.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Images of Border Agents on Horseback at Mexico-Texas Border Have Drawn Rebuke - Here's Why - From KHOU 11
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