Texas’ Ongoing Border Disaster

Flights back to Haiti have resumed after President Biden halted deportation flights back to the country earlier this month. At its peak, up to 14,000 Haitians sought to make their way into the United States through Texas. 

Since Sunday, 1401 migrants have been returned to Haiti from camps on the Del Rio part of the Texas border.

The Associated Press reported that many of the migrants used apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp on their smartphones to coordinate with one another and warn of potential dangers and recommend certain routes. 

Many Haitains at the border had already claimed asylum in Brazil and Chile prior to their journey to Texas, as shown by images showing many discarded identification cards that emerged on Wednesday.

California Democrat Maxine Waters demanded that the united states provide asylum for all of the 14,000 Haitians who had crossed the border illegally :

“What we witnessed takes us back hundreds of years... worse than what we witnessed in slavery … Cowboys with their reins in hand whipping black people, Haitians, into the water where they’re scrambling and falling down and all they’re trying to do is escape the violence in their country.”

Waters is referring to a factually incorrect interpretation of images and video of Texan border agents using their horse’s reins to whip migrants. One unidentified border agent told the Daily Mail:

“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”

Another agent, speaking to Fox News, stated that the controversy was being used to distract from the handling of situation by the Biden administration:

“[Harris] is placing blame on agents to deflect because she and Biden are not going to change how they are handling this. They were not whipping anyone. They don't carry whips. They don't get assigned whips, what they do is a training technique that has been shown to them to make sure that no one takes over their horse. It was to protect the horse, to protect the rider, and to protect the individual that was trying to cause chaos and knock down that rider from that horse.”

Haiti’s special envoy to the United States has resigned in protest over the resumption of deportation of Haitian illegal immigrants. In a resignation letter addressed to the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken he states:

“I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life.”

He continued to explain why he believed Haiti was unsuitable to return the illegal migrants:

“The collapsed state is unable to provide security or basic services, and more refugees will fuel further desperation and crime.