Speaking to reporters at the White House Friday, President Joe Biden vowed to punished Border Patrol agents in Del Rio who used horses to stop illegal immigrants from entering the country earlier this week.
"It's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay," he said.
Biden on the lie that border patrol were using whips on illegal immigrants at the border:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 24, 2021
"To see people treated like they did? Horses running them over? People being strapped? It's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay." pic.twitter.com/Jx79KoYTy9
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki have all continued to lie about Border Patrol agents "whipping" illegal Haitians. It never happened and yet, they're tripling down.
The photojournalist who took the photos of Border Patrol agents earlier this week, which cynical political operatives and media have used to smear them, has debunked the narrative illegal immigrants were whipped.
The photographer behind images depicting Border Patrol agents on horseback told KTSM things are not exactly what they seem when it comes to the photos.
The photographs, which were taken Sunday, appear to show agents on horses with a whip in hand. The photos caused outrage because from certain angles, it appears to show Border Patrol whipping migrants, but photographer Paul Ratje said he and his colleagues never saw agents whipping anyone.
“Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses,” Ratje said.
Ratje is a photographer based in Las Cruces and has been in Del Rio since Friday. He said took the photographs from the Mexican side.
“I’ve never seen them whip anyone,” Ratje said.
Yesterday, the administration announced horses will no longer be used by agents in Del Rio, taking away a key tool for patrols.
"The horse is a great tool we've used for almost 100 years now." Rowdy Ballard, former Del Rio Sector Horse Coordinator for Border Patrol, comments after the Biden Administration bans Border Patrol agents from using horses in Del Rio @DanaPerino @tracegallagher pic.twitter.com/J12NzPCjTw
— America's Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) September 24, 2021
Jon Anfinsen, president of the BP union’s chapter in Del Rio, responds to the horse unit being suspended:
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 23, 2021
“Suspending them all for even a brief amount of time takes away one of the few remaining units that have been in the field making arrests and rescues on a regular basics.” https://t.co/I7WBnt565e pic.twitter.com/iBW5X7Gqds
DHS is expected to conclude an investigation into the agents and issue disciplinary action next week.