Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

‘The Whipping Did Not Occur’: Mayorkas Corrects Reporter On Border Patrol Debunked Whipping Allegations

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday corrected a reporter who asserted that Border Patrol agents whipped migrants.

TheGrio reporter April Ryan insisted that agents whipped migrants from Haiti in September 2021, allegations that an internal investigation ultimately debunked. The incident took place when thousands of Haitian migrants crossed into Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming the small border town.

“Sir, the southern border is not just Mexicans, it’s Haitians, it’s Africans, as we’ve seen particularly with that issue of Haitians being whipped with reins of horses,” Ryan said.

“Well, let me just correct you right there because as the investigation concluded that the whipping did not occur,” Mayorkas said.

“I’m sorry, I saw it differently. They were whipping something from the horse, reins from the horse. Maybe the video or the picture was fake, what I saw was totally different story,” Ryan said.

“I’m going to leave you as corrected,” Mayorkas said.

Mayorkas corrects April Ryan when she brings up the “Haitians being whipped with the reins of the horses,” noting “the investigation concluded that the whipping did not occur.”

Ryan: “Maybe either the video or the picture was fixed but what I saw was totally different.” pic.twitter.com/sPLPRLMXAx

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 11, 2023

The incident grew chaotic as horseback border agents were attempting to control the crowds and were later found in a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) internal investigation to have “twirled” their reins in violation of CBP guidance. However, no evidence was found that they whipped anyone.