House Democrats Demand Answers About Treatment of Haitian Migrants

Politics|House Democrats request answers by Friday astir attraction of Haitian migrants.

• Sept. 22, 2021, 2:29 p.m. ET

House Democrats connected Wednesday demanded Biden medication officials conscionable with members of the oversight committee by Friday to look questions astir the attraction of Haitian immigrants astatine the Texas-Mexico borderline aft videos showed Border Patrol agents connected horseback corralling and menacing migrants, sparking wide outrage.

“We were alarmed to spot footage of the inhumane attraction of Haitian and different migrants successful Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents connected horseback,” Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the chairwoman of the oversight committee, wrote successful a missive Wednesday to Troy A. Miller, the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The missive noted that images and videos showed borderline agents “charging astatine women, men, and children; menacing them with bridle reins; and making derogatory comments towards the migrants. Such abusive behaviour is unacceptable and raises troubling questions astir culture, training, and subject wrong C.B.P.”

The missive asks for Customs and Border Protection officials to little the committee by the extremity of the week astir the behaviour of the agents, what directions they received from supervisors and whether immoderate disciplinary steps person been taken. The committee besides is seeking accusation astir actions that are being taken to support migrants astatine the Del Rio border; the usage of a wellness regularisation known arsenic Title 42 to expel migrants; and unredacted copies of immoderate interior investigations into the incidents.

Ms. Maloney was joined successful penning the missive by Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the president of the civilian rights subcommittee Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and members of the progressive radical known arsenic the “Squad” — Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

“Reports that thousands of migrants are being deported to Haiti contempt turmoil successful that state rise superior concerns astir whether the national authorities is failing to dainty migrants — including those fleeing violence, governmental instability, and earthy disasters — with respect and dignity and affording them a meaningful accidental to question asylum,” the lawmakers wrote.

Photographs and video footage of borderline agents’ interactions with Haitian migrants, which circulated wide online this week, offered a presumption into the chaos unfolding successful Del Rio, Texas, wherever ample groups of Haitians crossed the Rio Grande and illegally entered the United States.

“It is captious that thorough investigations are conducted regarding the behaviour successful Del Rio, Texas, and that due disciplinary enactment is taken,” the House Democrats wrote. “In addition, we impulse C.B.P. to analyse broader issues of civilization and grooming wrong the bureau that whitethorn person contributed to this conduct.”

The Biden medication has flown much than 1,000 radical to Haiti since Sunday and plans to tally 7 flights a time starting Wednesday, with country for 135 migrants connected each plane, according to an authoritative acquainted with the program who spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon interior strategies.

The deportations are the latest illustration of the Biden administration, successful its attempts to asseverate power implicit soaring numbers of borderline crossings, belying a run pledge to reconstruct an asylum programme for susceptible families fleeing persecution and poverty.

Leaders of civilian rights organizations, including the N.A.A.C.P., sent a letter to Mr. Biden connected Tuesday condemning the attraction of the Haitians, and different allies of Mr. Biden denounced the actions, comparing the events astatine the borderline to those seen nether President Donald J. Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris connected Tuesday called the attraction “horrible” and said she planned to sermon the contented with Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the caput of the Homeland Security Department, which has started an investigation.