A secret Facebook group filled with members of current and former Border Patrol agents is the center of a controversy as it was filled with jokes about the deaths of migrants, inappropriate comments about lawmakers and a lewd meme.
CNN details the remarks were posted on “on a private Facebook group that may include a number of CBP employees,” as described by Matthew Klein, assistant commissioner of CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
The group was named “I’m 10-15” and discovered by ProPublica, an investigative reporting group. Details of how many members of the group are stated to be at 9,500 and the profiles included in the group have been linked to Border Patrol agents. There is not a number reported of which agents are currently active.
“We take all the posts that were put out today very seriously. These do not represent the thoughts of the men and women of the US Border Patrol. Each one of these allegations will be thoroughly investigated,” said US Border Patrol Chief of Operations Brian Hastings.
Posts included in the page are messages toward the death of a Guatemalan migrant stating “if he dies he dies.” Another post urged protest against the visit of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Veronica Escobar, with a lewd meme involving the former and a migrant, was shared.
“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,” US Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost said in a statement.
Ocasio-Cortez visited the border and spoke out against the cruel conditions.
‘What we saw today was unconscionable.’ — @AOC spoke out against migrant detention camps after witnessing them firsthand pic.twitter.com/2nkmiaKTck
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 1, 2019
And to these CBP officers saying they felt “threatened” by me –
They were literally discussing making a GoFundMe for an officer who attacked my on my tour.
They confiscated my phone, and they were all armed. I’m 5’4”.
They’re just upset I exposed their inhumane behavior.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 2, 2019
Here’s another photo from inside taken by @JoaquinCastrotx, where we’re trying to comfort women trapped in cells.
This woman was telling me about her daughters who were taken from her – she doesn’t know where they’ve taken them.
We held & listened to them. They were distraught. pic.twitter.com/ca1GwKfDfU
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 2, 2019
