Green, Jordan, Comer Seek Information on Unprecedented CBP Disciplinary Practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Troy Miller seeking information related to the unprecedented process to discipline agents from the Del Rio Horse Patrol Unit.

In the letter, the Members wrote, “Nearly 30,000 illegal aliens, mostly from Haiti, crossed into the United States in Del Rio, Texas during the month of September 2021. At one point, nearly 15,000 of those aliens camped under the Del Rio International Bridge, completely overwhelming the Border Patrol and local resources. […] At the peak of the crisis on September 19, three members of the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Horse Patrol Unit were patrolling the southwest border while illegal aliens were crossing the Rio Grande River into the United States. An out-of-context video of the agents’ actions later surfaced, suggesting that the aliens were abusing their authority.”

The letter continues, “Under this intense pressure from the White House and the Secretary of Homeland Security, CBP initiated an investigation into the incident and released its report on July 8, 2022. The report concluded ‘[t]here is no evidence that [Border Patrol agents] involved in this incident struck, intentionally or otherwise, any migrant with their reins.’ The report did conclude that one Border Patrol agent ‘acted in an unprofessional manner by yelling comments related to a migrant’s national origin and sex.’ While CBP’s investigation has been completed for nine months, the Department of Homeland Security has yet to announce any closure of the incident in response to the findings.”

The letter concludes, “If CBP decides to pursue this unprecedented process for Border Patrol agent discipline, we may be forced to examine the unusual nature of these disciplinary proceedings and whether the disciplinary decision was made based on proper considerations. We look forward to your prompt response to this matter.”

Read the full letter here. 

Background:

In September 2021, the Biden administration wrongly accused CBP agents of ‘whipping’ migrants and abusing their authority. Despite a July 2022 CBP report that concluded there was no evidence of agents striking migrants, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the CBP haven’t determined disciplinary outcomes or announced any closure of the incident. Now, it appears that the responsibility for disciplinary decisions for these agents will shift to senior executives with no Border Patrol or law-enforcement experience.

 

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