Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding the Biden administration apologize for falsely accusing four mounted Border Patrol agents of whipping Haitian migrants at the southern border with Mexico last year.
“There’s no doubt this was political,” Paxton told Fox News Friday, joining other Republicans in demanding a mea culpa from the president.
“And it’s really unfortunate that these border agents who’ve given their lives to securing our border and defending Americans [sic]. And here they are being punished; they should be rewarded,” he added.
A 511-page report released by the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Personal Responsibility this week found that the whipping allegations were false and cleared the agents.
The inquiry was sparked after images emerged of agents on horseback in Del Rio, Texas holding back Haitian migrants in September, and President Biden falsely accused them of wrongdoing.
“To see people treated like they did … people being strapped – it’s outrageous,” the president said at the time before vowing: “I promise you, those people will pay.”
Despite the CBP findings, Biden insisted that officials find something on the agents. Border Patrol union head Brandon Judd accused Biden of “a political hit job” against the four agents who face punishment ranging from a letter of discipline to termination.