U.S. sending thousands of migrants back to Haiti

The Department of Homeland Security declared it will not tolerate abuses against migrants after pictures and videos surfaced of Border Patrol agents on horseback confronting migrants as they came out of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas initially said he saw nothing wrong with the images, which showed agents swinging the long ends of their reins. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said it can be confusing to distinguish between migrants and smugglers as people move back and forth near the Rio Grande. Later Monday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement calling the footage “extremely troubling” and promising a full investigation that would “define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken.”

What is happening at the border? An encampment of mostly Haitian migrants under a bridge between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, swelled to 14,287 occupants at its peak on Sunday. The United States has expelled more than 6,000 migrants from Del Rio so far via plane and bus. Mayorkas warned that anyone entering the country illegally would be returned to their home countries. But some U.S. officials on Tuesday said border officials have released thousands of Haitians in the United States and gave them notices to appear at an immigration office in 60 days, undercutting the administration’s stance on immediate expulsions. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees called for the United States to roll back Title 42, a public health rule that rejects most asylum seekers for fear of coronavirus spread.

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report in Compassion about a legal challenge to Title 42.