'Treating Those Immigrants Like Dogs': North Miami Mayor Sickened By Images Of Border Patrol Agents Using Whips To Corral Haitian Immigrants
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Shocking video shows border patrol agents on horseback, holding whips, attempting to wrangle migrants in Del Rio, Texas.
"Man, that's terrible," said North Miami Mayor and Haitian-American Phillip Bien-Aime as he watched a video of Haitian migrants at the Texas border. "They have no mercy for those children. They're treating those immigrants like dogs."
The videos and pictures show border patrols agents on horseback cracking their whips as the try to prevent the Haitians from coming into the country.
Former Sen. Dwight Bullard says the images look airily similar to the plight of African-American slaves.
"I remember showing similar images to my students of the depictions of slave catchers in the 1850s after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, that's literally the first image that popped into my head," said Bullard who is a former teacher.
He added many African Americans have been re-traumatized by the images.
"There's been a border crisis for the better part of three years, yet we've never seen an image like this. So what makes it triggering for, black people especially, is where is this tactic coming from," said Bullard.
The issue has sparked a lot of concern in the Black community, and many lawmakers, like State Sen. Shevrin Jones, are speaking out.
"Shame on us for doing that. They deserve not only our attention but they deserve our help," said Jones.
Jones sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting the Haitian people be provided humanitarian parole and let into the country.
"This a humanitarian issue as I said in my statement, and I will say it again, this is our litmus test of humanity and empathy," said Jones.
As for Mayor Bien-Aime, he said he wants the border patrol agents to be held accountable for their actions.
"In United States of America in 2021, this is unspeakable and I think what the community needs today is an investigation by the administration," he said.
