Psaki says Border Patrol agents guilty of 'brutal and inappropriate' behavior

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds a briefing

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday slammed what she called "brutal and inappropriate" behavior by Border Patrol agents seen on horseback blocking migrants from entering the United States.

During her daily press briefing, Psaki was asked whether President Biden was living up to his campaign promise of restoring America’s "moral standing in the world as a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers."

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"We understand and agree that this has been an incredibly heart-wrenching issue," Psaki responded. "We’ve watched the photos of Haitians gathering under a bridge, many with families, and the horrific video of the CBP officers on horses using brutal and inappropriate measures against innocent people."

Psaki was reacting to images of Border Patrol agents in Del Rio, Texas – where thousands of Haitians have surged in recent days – that showed agents on horseback blocking migrants from entering the U.S. and in one case grabbing onto a migrant’s shirt. 

Some Democrats and media outlets falsely described the agents’ long reins, which they use to control their horses, as "whips." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., condemned what she described as "the inappropriate use of what appear to be whips by Border Patrol officers on horseback to intimidate migrants." 

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz both said on Monday that they did not see anything wrong with the images, and Mayorkas pointed out agents use long reins to control their horses, not whips, in difficult terrain. Mayorkas changed his perspective the next day, telling CNN he was "horrified" by the images.

Psaki insisted Wednesday that it’s the Trump administration whose policies were "inhumane" and "immoral," and that the agents seen in the pictures had been taken off the front lines amid an investigation.

"I would also reiterate that there is an investigation that will be completed by next week, which the secretary confirmed, that will determine the next steps on both policy and personnel," she said. "And in the interim, those individuals were placed on administrative leave and will not be interacting with any migrants.

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"So as it relates to those photos and that horrific video, we’re not going to stand for that kind of inhumane treatment and obviously we want this investigation to be completed rapidly," she added.

Adam Shaw and Peter Hasson contributed reporting.