In a private Facebook group, CBP agents were said to have made inappropriate comments about dead migrants and also mocked Ocasio-Cortez and another congresswoman in a degrading way:
DC EXAMINER – Lawmakers, union representatives, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol condemned “xenophobic and sexist” social media posts by border agents revealed by ProPublica.
The nonprofit news outlet uncovered posts in a private Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents and made public the findings on Monday. Condemnations of the Facebook group flowed shortly after the story was published.
The Facebook group contained jokes about dead migrants and suggestions to hit New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar with burritos as they visit CBP facilities on Monday. One post showed a photo-shopped image of Ocasio-Cortez engaged in sexual acts with an immigrant.
The CBP was not pleased and issued these statements today:
Today, CBP was made aware of disturbing social media activity hosted on a private Facebook group that may include a number of CBP employees. CBP immediately informed DHS Office of the Inspector General and initiated an investigation. Full statement: https://t.co/JdPNcZz36S pic.twitter.com/9f7BgKKrgU
— CBP (@CBP) July 1, 2019
.@USBPChief: These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see—and expect—from our agents day in and day out. Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable.
— CBP (@CBP) July 1, 2019
The National Border Patrol Council responded as well:
“The National Border Patrol Council Strongly condemns the inappropriate content posted by certain Border Patrol employees,” the NBPC, the union of Border Patrol agents, said in a statement.
“Whether one agrees with the politics of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Escobar, they both must be treated with dignity and respect,” the NBPC said. “Similarly, when Rep. Ocasio-Cortez refers to CBP border facilities as concentration camps and our agents as Nazis – when neither could be further from the truth – she does nothing to improve the political discourse.”
The union asserted that the perpetrators represented a small minority of border agents and did not represent the branch of law enforcement as a whole.
The NBPC condemns the inappropriate and unprofessional social media posts related to members of Congress and those encountered by Border Patrol agents. pic.twitter.com/rst6Le5cBj
— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) July 1, 2019