Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas knew the narrative that Border Patrol agents whipped a group of Haitian migrants was false hours before he denounced the "horrifying" incident, newly released emails show.
Documents obtained by the Heritage Foundation after it sued DHS reveal that one of Mayorkas' staffers emailed him the account of photographer Paul Ratje, who took the viral photos, less than three hours before the White House press conference where the secretary condemned the agents.
"I've never seen them whip anyone," Ratje said in a quote provided to Mayorkas. "He [Border Patrol agent] was swinging it [reins] but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture."
Instead of using the information to correct the narrative, Mayorkas continued to push the inaccurate account of what occurred by suggesting it required investigation.
"I want to assure you that we are addressing this with tremendous speed and tremendous force," Mayorkas said at the time, according to the National Review. "The facts will drive the action we take. The investigation will be all-encompassing; we will not cut a single corner."
Well-known Democrats, including President Joe Biden, also perpetuated the popular account of the incident.
"It was horrible to see what you saw, to see people treated like they did — horses barely running them over and people being strapped," Biden said then. "It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay … there will be consequences. It's an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment it's dangerous, it's wrong."
Similarly, Vice President Kamala Harris said the images reminded her of "times of slavery."
George Syer, a retired horse patrol coordinator, told the National Review last year that the Border Patrol agents' conduct was standard protocol.
"It's a training tool, and it's a training aid if a horse does not want to cooperate with its rider," Syer said.
The agents involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave, regardless of the information provided to Mayorkas, and investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Although they were cleared of whipping the migrants, disciplinary charges were brought against the four agents for endangering migrants.
According to reports, Mayorkas' conduct has had a demoralizing effect on Border Patrol agents, causing many to feel vulnerable and at the mercy of the political powers that be.
"Border Patrol agents are very hesitant to do their jobs knowing that they could be accused by the most powerful man in the world of a crime," Brandon Judd, the national president of the Border Patrol union, told Fox News late last month.
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