US Homeland Security Says May Impose Discipline On Border Agents For Horse Patrol Incident

Umer Jamshaid Published November 16, 2021 | 08:24 PM

The investigation into the circumstances of the horse patrol incident on September 19 in the US state of Texas that involved Haitian refugees is being engaged by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will determine whether any disciplinary action is appropriate, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th November, 2021) The investigation into the circumstances of the horse patrol incident on September 19 in the US state of Texas that involved Haitian refugees is being engaged by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will determine whether any disciplinary action is appropriate, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides this update regarding the investigation of horse patrol activity in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021," the DHS said in a press release. "Once completed, the results of the investigation will be provided to CBP management to determine whether disciplinary action is appropriate and, if so, the specific discipline to be imposed."

The release clarified that initially the case had been assigned to DHS's Office of Inspector general, but that entity referred the matter to CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility, which is responsible with presenting the investigation results to the CBP management.

On September 23, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas informed civil rights leaders that border agents will no longer use horses to detain illegal migrants as was in the case with the Haitian refugees.

Images emerging from the border showed CBP officers on horseback handling Haitian migrants that had gathered in great numbers on the US border with Mexico in Texas, causing condemnation from some civil rights groups. US President Joe Biden called the images of CBP officers using horses to detain Haitians "horrible" and promised consequences.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said horses are routinely used by CBP officers in areas not readily accessible by vehicles and not using horses would impede the agents' work in stopping illegal immigration. Abbott also said claims the officers used whips were not accurate as they use rains when riding horses.