Rep. Jeffries: Border Agents Will Be Held Accountable for Their Vile and Reprehensible Behavior

Press Conference

Earlier today, U.S. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Jerry Nadler (NY-10), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Max Rose (NY-11) hosted a press conference addressing the vile comments made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in reference to immigrants and Hispanic Members of Congress.

The remarks were found in a Facebook group comprised of more than 9,000 current and former CBP agents. In addition to belittling the real and serious crisis on the southern border, the group contained language sexually threatening several Members of Congress, who were visiting the border in the process of exercising their legal oversight duties.

Representative Jeffries said: "We know here in New York City that we are a gorgeous mosaic of people from throughout the world. Everyone who used this type of inappropriate and offensive rhetoric should be fired. Period. House Democrats will continue fighting to root out xenophobia and bigotry wherever it is found. Reps. Nadler, Velázquez, Maloney, Clarke and Rose are to be praised for their efforts in this regard."

Representative Nadler said: "The racist and misogynist comments made by CBP agents in a recently exposed secret Facebook page are vile. Simply put, this behavior cannot be tolerated. I have directed my staff to obtain a briefing from CBP leadership regarding this disturbing revelation, and I fully expect that agents expressing these egregious views are identified and held accountable."

Representative Velázquez said: "The Department of Homeland Security needs to immediately identify every single individual associated with this Facebook group - smoke them out of their holes -- and remove them from the agency. It is indisputable that the views reflected in this online group are contributing to inhumane treatment of immigrant detainees. This type of culture cannot be permitted in any federal agency. We need answers immediately and we need those detained at the border treated humanely."

Representative Maloney said: "Today I joined my colleagues in condemning the vile Facebook page, operated by CBP officials, that is saturated with hate, misogyny, and racism. The callous indifference towards the suffering of migrant families is dangerous, and we stand together with all those targeted by the gross intolerance spewed online. The agents responsible for this abhorrent behavior must be held accountable, and they should have no place on our border or in law enforcement."

Representative Clarke said: "As a nation who is "led' by a morally bankrupt Bigot-in-Chief, we are seeing more instances of hate-fueled Americans. I'm disgusted by the behavior of these border patrol agents who are hired to serve the public, but instead have taken it upon themselves to disparage and debase both immigrants and my colleagues. No human is greater than another, and the lack of leadership emanating from Donald Trump, his White House, his Administration and these agents is abhorrent."

Representative Rose said: "It is incumbent on all members of Congress to hold this Administration accountable and exercise our Constitutional powers to ensure the money is not only spent, but it is spent correctly. Which is why I also am planning to visit the border to see these facilities first-hand this summer. It is obvious that our system is broken right now and has been for a long time. We shouldn't have to place thousands of children in facilities meant for nowhere near that number because Congress has failed to do its job for decades. Congress should confront this crisis with the urgency it deserves. Congress should cancel recess, and any future ones, because those suffering on the border cannot wait."

There are presently around 20,000 active CBP agents in the United States of America. As such, the more than 9,000 members of the Facebook group responsible for the offensive content appear to represent a significant portion of active duty agents across the country.