Haitian immigrants gather under International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas - Screenshot courtesy of NBC News on YouTube

Haitian immigrants gather under International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas - Screenshot courtesy of NBC News on YouTube

CBP reports record of nearly two million migrants encountered so far in 2021 – and it’s only beginning

Posted by: | |Categories Around The World, Featured, Homeland Security
Share:

Editor note: In 2020, we saw a nationwide push to “defund the police”.  While we all stood here shaking our heads wondering if these people were serious… they cut billions of dollars in funding for police officers.  And as a result, crime has skyrocketed – all while the same politicians who said “you don’t need guns, the government will protect you” continued their attacks on both our police officers and our Second Amendment rights.

And that’s exactly why we’re launching this national crowdfunding campaign as part of our efforts to help “re-fund the police”.

For those looking for a quick link to get in the fight and support the cause, click here.

—

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Customs and Border Protection is due to report nearly 2 million nationwide migrant encounters in the recently concluded fiscal year 2021. The number of migrants encountered by border guards and CBP officers jumped 202 percent from the previous year’s approximately 647,000.

In an exclusive article, Breitbart News reported that a new record was set for the apprehension of migrants by Border Patrol agents for the nine southwest border sectors. Breitbart wrote:

“Of the nearly 1.96 million migrants encountered, more than 1.66 million, a new record for Border Patrol, were migrants apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the southern, northern, and coastal borders.

“This represents an increase of 310 percent over the previous year’s 405,000 migrants.”

The previous record for apprehensions stood at 1.64 million set in fiscal year 2021.

The report indicates that of the 1.96 million migrants encountered this year, more than 1.6 million occurred after President Biden enacted his lenient immigration policy, reversing the strict, zero tolerance policies of the Trump administration.

The report is expected to reveal that single adult migrants accounted for more than 1.3 million of the total meetings. That number increased from almost 537,000 the year before, or about146 percent.

Of those, more than 616,000 came from Mexico and nearly 315,000 came from the countries of the northern triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

After years of complaints by Democrats that the Trump administration could not curtail the arrival of unaccompanied minors crossing the border, the Biden administration has not only failed to curtail the problem but faced an increase in these arrivals.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report is expected to show that encounters with unaccompanied minors jumped by more than 333 percent. CBP officers and agents encountered more than 148,000 unaccompanied minors — up from only 34,000 the year before.

The big picture seems to be lost on some immigration officials, as they fail to recognize the rising problem. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during an interview on September 26:

“We are certainly seeing a large number here this year, but in 2019, we saw a large number. In 2014, in 2010. This is nothing new.”

That statement was made despite the total number of migrant apprehensions along the southwest border with Mexico is higher than any recorded yearly apprehension statistic, dating to 1925 when 22,199 migrants were arrested by the Border Patrol.

Ironically, that year most Border Patrol were using horseback.

The use of mounted officers has come under attack by liberals, who falsely claimed that Border Patrol agents used whips from horseback to control Haitian illegal aliens flooding to Del Rio, Texas earlier this month.

The claims have been disproved by witnesses and experts, yet some still make the claim.

Through a DHS spokesman, Mayorkas said earlier this month:

“The investigation is ongoing. The department is committed to a thorough, independent, and objective process. We are also committed to transparency and will release the results of the investigation once it is complete.”

The president of the Border Patrol union, Brandon Judd, said he was concerned that investigators would be pressured to find something wrong just to keep the President in a good light. President Biden promised those responsible would be held to account before the facts were known.:

“They’ve already had the president, the vice president, (White House press secretary) Jen Psaki herself, and the Secretary of Homeland Security have already passed judgment on what took place down there without an investigation taking place.

“So now the investigators are just going to go down there, and they’re going to have to find fault based upon what all of these extremely powerful people have already said.”

The fury began when photographs were released on social media, which liberals claimed showed mounted agents using whips. The whips were actually the long reins used to control the horses.

The photographer who took the photographs even said the photographs did not depict whippings. Photographer Paul Ratje said:

“I didn’t ever see them whip anybody with the thing. He was swinging it. But I didn’t see him actually take — whip someone with it. That’s something that can be misconstrued when you’re looking at the picture.”

Do you want to join our private family of first responders and supporters?  Get unprecedented access to some of the most powerful stories that the media refuses to show you.  Proceeds get reinvested into having active, retired and wounded officers, their families and supporters tell more of these stories.  Click to check it out.

LET Unity
Fact Check: Dems and White House express outrage over Border Patrol ‘whipping’ migrants, but it’s not true

September 22, 2021

 

 DEL RIO, TX – Democrats once again jumped at the opportunity to attack law enforcement after Border Patrol agents were reportedly filmed using whips on Haitian migrants at the southern border. However, those accusations were later proven false.

Video released by Al Jazeera and Reuters allegedly depicted mounted Border Patrol agents trying to block Haitian migrants trying to return to a makeshift camp at the Del Rio International Bridge after returning to Mexico briefly.  It was later learned the “whips” were reins used to steer the horses.

Over 10,000 Haitian migrants are waiting for the chance to open an asylum claim in the United States within this makeshift camp, and their presence is becoming a humanitarian crisis as the Biden administration struggles to control the surge.

Democrats expressed outrage over the images, claiming the long reins were actually whips being used on the migrants. Despite explanations from the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Chief of the Border Patrol, Democrats attacked the White House.

The claims of whipping prompted a defensive response from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday:

“I’ve seen some of the footage. I don’t have the full context. I can’t imagine what context would make that appropriate, but I don’t have additional details, and certainly I don’t have additional context.

Not waiting for facts, Psaki added:

“I don’t think anyone seeing that footage would think it’s acceptable or appropriate.”

Vice President Kamala Harris joined the chorus of Democrats jumping on the “facts be damned” bandwagon. Harris told reporters on Tuesday:

“What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible. And I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there.

“But human beings should never be treated that way. And I’m deeply troubled about it. And I’ll also be talking to Secretary (Alejandro) Mayorkas about it today.”

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1440388322061271047

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the treatment of Haitian nationals by U.S. law enforcement “deeply troubling” and “heartbreaking”:

“Reports of the mistreatment of Haitian migrants fleeing violence and devastation from natural disasters are deeply troubling, including the inappropriate use of what appear to be whips by Border Patrol officers on horseback to intimidate migrants.”

The problem with all the Democrats’ outrage and the White House’s defensive reaction is that the claims of whipping were completely false.

The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) tweeted a strong defense of the Border Patrol agents with a hint of sarcasm to chastise the Democrats for making the false claims without gathering the facts.

On their Facebook page, the FOP wrote:

“For all you Social Media Warriors out there: these are NOT whips. And no, Border Patrol agents are NOT ‘whipping’ people.

“They are REINS… Stay with us here, like a steering wheel is used to drive a car, the reins are used to ‘drive’ the horse.

“Thanks for coming to our TED talk.”

The FOP also posted photographs of the long reins hanging from the horses as the Border Patrol struggled to control Haitians trying to re-enter the country illegally.

Secretary Mayorkas held a news conference near the Del Rio International Bridge on Monday defending the use of mounted Border Patrol agents, but said an investigation would be launched anyway:

“The footage is extremely troubling, and the facts learned from the full investigation, which will be conducted swiftly, will define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken…

“But we are going to investigate the facts to ensure that the situation is as we understand it to be, and if it’s anything different we will respond accordingly.”

Ortiz said that mounted Border Patrol agents played an important role in the security response to the crisis at the Del Rio International Bridge. He also explained that the mounted agents were working to secure the bridge to prevent the passage of illegal aliens to and from the United States without proper checks:

“As was witnessed in the video and some of the pictures, the migrants were going back-and-forth. We do not know who are the smugglers or who are the migrants, so it’s important that those Border Patrol agents maintain a level of security for both themselves and for the migrant population.”

Ortiz, an experienced horse rider himself, explained that the long reins help Border Patrol agents control horses and protect migrants:

“(Controlling horses is important ) so we do not get in a position where we injure a migrant as they’re trying to make that treacherous trek across that river is probably more important than anything.

“And I’m pretty sure and confident that that’s exactly what was happening, but we will certainly look into the matter, to make sure that we do not have any activity that could be construed as a response to a law enforcement effort that is unacceptable.”

Answering criticism that Border Patrol agents were swinging the long reins near migrants, Ortiz said:

“You’re assuming facts that have not yet been determined.”

Border Patrol agents reacted with anger and disbelief at the accusations of whipping. One agent told Fox News:

“This whole situation is blowing up and even liberals are turning on this administration. (Harris) is placing blame on agents to deflect because she and Biden are not going to change how they are handling this.”

Another Border patrol agent had more to say about the Democratic claims:

“Just proves what absolute idiots they are. With basic knowledge and two brain cells, anyone knows those agents use split reins. They do use them as a whip, on their horses.

“This helps get a quicker response from the horse to move out when needed, especially when the horse may be hesitant with groups of people or other animals.”

“Again, it is clear that those ‘in charge,’ a term that is disgusting to use, have no clue about our operations and frankly operate by ignorance and unhinged emotions.”
 

 

 

Want to make sure you never miss a story from Law Enforcement Today?  With so much “stuff” happening in the world on social media, it’s easy for things to get lost.  

Make sure you click “following” and then click “see first” so you don’t miss a thing!  (See image below.)  Thanks for being a part of the LET family!
 
Facebook Follow First
Share:
Submit a Correction
About The Author

Scott A. Davis is a 28-year veteran of law enforcement. He served as a Police Sergeant and as a Detective in Pennsylvania. Scott retired from law enforcement in 2020. Prior to his law enforcement career, Scott was an award-winning journalist and recipient of two Keystone Press Awards.

Related Posts