Tom Homan: 'Disgusting on every level' to punish border agents over 'whipping' incident
DHS expected to find 'administrative violations' after agents were falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former acting ICE Director Tom Homan said Thursday that according to the Biden administration, people are "innocent until proven guilty, unless you wear a badge."
Homan joined "Fox & Friends First" to address the Border Patrol agents facing punishment for being falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants at the southern border.
Border Patrol agents are furious after it emerged that the Department of Homeland Security is expected to punish multiple agents who were caught up in since-debunked allegations that they whipped Haitian migrants in Del Rio last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A federal source told Fox News an announcement on the matter is expected within the coming days. The agents are expected to discipline the agents with "administrative violations" rather than any criminal conduct.
The controversy began amid the Haitian migrant crisis in Del Rio in September, where more than 10,000 migrants were gathered underneath the area’s International Bridge. As the situation worsened, agents were sent out on horseback to control the situation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas initially backed the agents, but later changed his message, saying that the images "troubled me profoundly" and adding that "one cannot weaponize a horse" against migrants.
Homan said the agents were doing their job and the only ones who are guilty in this situation were the Haitian migrants for entering the United States illegally.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The only people that did anything wrong that day were the Haitian migrants who entered the country illegally, which is a crime. They ignored verbal commands from a federal officer, which is another crime. But no one wants to talk about that … of course not. They're going to target the men and women wearing the uniform. These men and women, they're patriots." said Homan, emphasizing that Border Patrol "deserves better" from President Biden.
The former ICE director said even the children and wives of these agents are being bullied over a false narrative from the Biden administration and the media suggesting racism was a factor.
"They weaponized the Office of Professional Responsibility, the CBP Internal Affairs Department, to go after these agents, because the bottom line is they don't want to embarrass the president and the secretary who convicted them before we even see the evidence. It is disgusting on every level."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Adam Shaw, Bill Melugin, and Peter Hasson contributed to this report