Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Sunday that he will hire any of the Border Patrol agents who have been falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants at the southern border if they are terminated by the Biden administration.
"If he takes any action against them whatsoever — I have worked side by side with those Border Patrol agents — I want them to know something. If they are risk of losing their job by a president who is abandoning his duty to secure the border, you have a job in the state of Texas. I will hire you to help Texas secure our border," Abbott said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday."
Last week, viral images showed Border Patrol agents mounted on horseback blocking Haitian migrants from entering the U.S.
The agents were initially accused of using "whips" on the migrants but officials and agents have debunked those claims. They said that long reins were used to control the horse and deter people from getting too close to it and that nobody was struck.
The photographer who took the pictures also said he never saw border agents whipping any of the migrants.
Still, President Joe Biden pledged to penalize the agents.
"To see people treated like they did? Horses running them over? People being strapped? It's outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay," he said Friday.
The Department of Homeland Security has also announced that it would launch a full investigation into the matter.
The border agents have been removed from field duty pending the investigation and horses will no longer be permitted for use by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.