Texas Governor says 'he'll hire Border Patrol agents' who may lose job under Biden admin

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday brewed a fresh controversy after he told host Chris Wallace that he will hire the US Customs and Border Protection agents facing a legal investigation for whipping and herding scores of Haitian asylum seekers while mounted on horseback at the Rio Grande. During a show “Fox News Sunday" with Wallace, Abbot spoke in response to the question about the border agents brutally charging at the undocumented migrants on the Texas border, an incident that has stoked controversy after it was caught on camera, and was widely circulated by the journalists on social media. 

The behaviour of CBP agents against the migrants sparked widespread condemnation and sparked discussions about the mistreatment of Black migrants as agents were seen swinging long horse reins to hit them. US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told a press briefing that the controversial act was aimed at “sending a message” to migrants, particularly Haitians, who are attempting to enter the US through the southwest border via illegal channels. 

[US Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas. Credit: AP]

[Credit: AP]

"People coming to the United States illegally will be returned, your journey will not succeed,” he said, denying that agents whipped anyone and adding that his department will “investigate the facts." 

The incident was denounced by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki at a White House Presser, where she agreed, “I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.” 

US President Joe Biden slammed the aggressive tactics of the border patrol agents confronting the Haitian migrants at the US-Mexico border as "dangerous" and “outrageous". He said at the White House conference that the Border Patrol agents who whipped at Haitian migrants with reins while they attempted to cross the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas “will pay” for their actions. 

"There will be consequences. It’s dangerous, it's wrong. It sends the wrong message around the world, it sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are,” Biden said during a White House press conference. 

Texas Governor blames Biden administration for migrant spillover at Southern border

While the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it has launched an investigation into the agents' actions, calling the visuals “extremely troubling” and adding that the “appropriate disciplinary actions” will be taken, Texas Governor Greg Abbot defended the CBP officers. He said that those agents concerned about losing their jobs under the Biden administration can work with him instead.

“You have a job in the state of Texas,” Abbott said in televised remarks. “I will hire you to help Texas secure our border,” he added.

The Texas governor then went on to slam President Joe Biden as he laid the blame for any misbehavior on part of CBP agents on the immigration crisis fuelled by his administration. They [Democrats] didn’t do anything to help keep the Haitian migrants from crossing from Mexico into Del Rio, Texas, Abbott stressed.  “I'm going to step up and do whatever I have to do,” Abbott said, “to make sure that I protect the people of Del Rio, as well as all these other communities in the state of Texas that the Biden administration is ignoring.” He further defended CBP supporting Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ remarks who called the handling of the situation legal, and appropriate. “What we do is follow the law,” he said in televised remarks.