US President says 'there will be consequences' for horseback charge on migrants at border

After pictures showing border patrol officials using aggressive tactics surfaced, US President Joe Biden promised that there will be consequences for the horrifying incident. While speaking at the White House press briefing, Biden took the responsibility for the incident and said that it was “horrible” to see people treated like that, with horses nearly running over them. He called the incident “outrageous” and promised that it will be investigated. 

"I take responsibility," Biden told reporters at the White House. “It was horrible to see, to see people treated like they did, with horses nearly running them over. People being strapped. It's outrageous,” he added. 

Further, Biden said, “I promise you those people will pay. They will be investigated. There will be consequences.”  

The pictures showed the border patrol officials corralling Haitian migrants on horseback back towards the Rio Grande in Texas. The images showed the officials using their reins against the migrants. According to BBC, the incident has sparked comparisons to American’s slavery era. 

US President’s first public remarks on the situation come after nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus demanded answers from the Biden administration over the incident that took place at the US-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas. In a statement, they said that they wanted humanitarian assistance for the migrants and an investigation of the violence against Haitian migrants. The Democrats even demanded public release of the results of the investigation and further called for the removal of Customs and Border Protection agents identified in photos on horseback brutalising migrants. 

DHS suspends the use of horses 

Meanwhile, amid the growing uproar, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this week announced that it was suspending the use of horses in the Del Rio area. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the incident horrifying and further promised that the incident would be investigated at the “highest levels.” However, Mayorkas also explained that the expulsions of the migrants were conducted out of a concern for public health amid the Coronavirus pandemic. 

While over 6,000 Haitians and other migrants were removed from an encampment camp in Texas, Mayorkas defended the decision and called it “challenging and heartbreaking.” Separately, US border patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said that they would look into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips and their horses to push back migrants. However, he also added that he saw nothing apparently wrong based on photos and videos. Ortiz said that it can be confusing to distinguish between migrants and smugglers. He added that he would investigate to make sure there were no “unacceptable” actions by the agents. 

(Image: AP)