On Sept. 19, the El Paso Times published a report claiming a Border Patrol agent shouted at a group of Haitians crossing from Mexico into the U.S., "Let's go! Get out now! Back to Mexico!"
The report then states: “The agent swung his whip menacingly, charging his horse toward the men in the river who were trying to return to an encampment under the international bridge in Del Rio after buying food and water in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.”
Citing the report, the Intercept’s Ryan Devereaux claimed later that border agents were seen “cracking whips” and “charging into crowds of Haitian asylum seekers.”
“Um, why are U.S. border agents using whips on Haitians?” asked the Atlantic’s Jemele Hill
From swinging whips “menacingly,” to “cracking whips,” to “using whips,” in three simple steps.
The problem here is that photos and videos from Del Rio clearly show the agents using their reins to direct Haitian refugees. No video or photo evidence suggests otherwise.
Moreover, it’s worth noting border agents aren’t even issued whips, according to NBC News’s Morgan Chesky and Townhall’s Julio Rosas.
“Agents use their reins for a lot of reasons,” one immigration official told Rosas (Twitter - censored).
“Primarily, [reins are] used to steer the horse, but agents will also spin them sometimes to deter people from getting too close to the horse. If they get too close, the horse can step on them, breaking bones or causing other injures. Agents also need to maintain control of their reins so they don’t lose control of the horse, which can cause injuries to immigrants, the agents, and the horses.”
You don’t even need to take their word for it (nor should you) to know there’s a discrepancy between what members of the press allege and what the photos and videos they cite show.
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