Maxine Waters bashes Biden for 'whipping' of Haitian migrants and calls it worse than slavery: 'What the hell are we doing here?!'



Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California accused the Biden administration of acting like former President Donald Trump and said that the alleged "whipping" of Haitian migrants was worse than what was witnessed under slavery.

Waters made the comments at a press conference outside of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday after public outrage over the treatment of some Haitian migrants seeking refuge in Del Rio, Texas, where a massive encampment has formed.

"I'm pissed! I'm unhappy! And I'm not just unhappy with the cowboys who were running down Haitians and using their reins to whip them," said Waters.

"I'm unhappy with the administration! We are following the Trump policy, he is the one who does not follow the Constitution and would not allow those seeking refuge to be able to petition to get into the country!" she added.

"What the hell are we doing here?!" she yelled.

Waters was referring to the policy implemented under the Trump administration that allowed for the deportation of illegal aliens who were seeking refugee status. President Joe Biden has used that policy to send some of the Haitian migrants back to Haiti on airplane flights. Others are being allowed into the U.S. while their refugee application is processed.

"What we witnessed takes us back hundreds of years! What we witnessed was worse than what we witnessed in slavery!" Waters continued.

"Cowboys with their reins again whipping black people Haitians, into the water, where they're scrambling and falling down when all they're trying to do is escape violence in their country!" she added.

Waters went on to detail her history of trying to help the Haitian people through political turmoil and natural disasters. She also demanded to know who paid the men who were “whipping” at migrants with their reins.

"And I want to know in the first place, who is paying these cowboys to do this work? They got to be gotten rid of! They got to be stopped! It cannot go on!" she continued.

Waters had previously pushed the false accusation that the Border Patrol agents had used whips on the migrants.

For her Wednesday media briefing, she instead said that they had used their reins to whip the migrants away.

She also called for the children at the Del Rio encampment that want to come to the U.S. be allowed in immediately.

"Let people know that they trying to take us back to slavery days! And worse than that!" she yelled.

Here's the video of Waters' comments:

'I'M PISSED!' Biden ally Maxine Waters SLAMS administration over treatment of Haitian migrantswww.youtube.com

Dem lawmaker swiftly fact-checks CNN host who claims Border Patrol agents used 'rope,' 'lasso' against migrants



Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) fact-checked a CNN host in real time Tuesday after the host repeated misleading claims that Border Patrol agents were using whips to corral Haitian migrants at the southern U.S. border.

What happened?

Cuellar — the congressional Democrat who has been the most outspoken about the border crisis — rebuffed CNN host Victor Blackwell for perpetuating misinformation about Border Patrol agents.

Blackwell accused Border Patrol agents, "mounted on horseback," of "charging or chasing" migrants. He said one agent "appear[ed] to use what looks like a rope or lasso" against the migrants.

"Well, you know, certainly, we got to make sure we treat all the immigrants with respect and dignity," Cuellar said. "But I will say this: Border Patrol has had those horse brigades for a while, they've had them for a while, number one."

"Number two, they don't carry whips and they do not carry lassos," Cuellar continued. "I think the picture you're talking about, at least the one I've seen is the rein, the rein of the horses."

Texas Democrat @RepCuellar corrects CNN host who’s upset about border agents on horseback: “The picture you’re talk… https://t.co/b34b4KUDBq

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) 1632249944.0

When pressed by Blackwell whether horse reins should be used against the migrants, Cuellar advertised caution against assuming the worst of Border Patrol agents.

"Well, again, if there was a problem, it should be investigated, and I think that's it. But we cannot paint the Border Patrol with that same type of paintbrush," Cuellar said. "Look, you know, what are they supposed to do? Just stand there and let everybody come in?"

"You know, they're supposed to be enforcing the law," he continued. "But again, as to how you enforce the law, you got to make sure you treat people with dignity and respect."

What is the truth?

Pictures show that mounted Border Patrol agents maintaining security in Del Rio were not using whips, ropes, or lassos against the migrants. As Cuellar pointed out, agents were photographed holding the reins used to control a horse.

PAUL RATJE / AFP

Unfortunately for the anti-Border Patrol narrative, it's difficult to draw conclusions about behavior of Border Patrol agents from photographs, for they are missing the context necessary to ascertain what actually happened. While a few images purportedly suggest misbehavior, video does not irrefutably corroborate what Democrats and some media members have suggested.

In the above photo, for example, the mounted Border Patrol agent appears to be guiding his horse by tugging on the rein, not using the rein against the migrant.

Still, the Department of Homeland Security has promised a swift investigation into actions of the mounted Border Patrol agents.

Texas Gov. Abbott shuts down points of entry at the border over massive encampment of illegal aliens



Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has ordered several points of entry at the border shut down after thousands of illegal aliens encamped under a bridge while awaiting refugee processing.

"The sheer negligence of the Biden administration to do their job and secure the border is appalling," read the emergency statement from Abbott.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that the shaded area under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, was being used a temporary staging site in order to "prevent injuries from heat-related illness."

Some estimates of the encampment put the number of migrants at about 4,000 on Wednesday, but officials told Fox News the group could have swelled to as many as 8,200 on Thursday.

"I have directed the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to surge personnel and vehicles to shut down six points of entry along the southern border to stop these caravans from overrunning our state," Abbott continued.

"The border crisis is so dire that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos," Abbott added. "Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans."

Drone video from Fox News showed border agents trying to attend to the thousands of migrants.

Law enforcement source on the ground at the bridge this morning just sent me this video showing the situation there. I'm told a large majority of the migrants are Haitians and more are crossing into the US and arriving at the bridge by the minute. BP w/ limited manpower @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/dHWCrhFikq
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 16, 2021

Telemundo reported that many of the migrants were from Haiti and that they said they were trying to escape violence, povertym and natural disasters in their home countries. Some reported being abused and extorted for money by Mexican law enforcement officials.

Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano said in a video on Facebook that there were as many as 20,000 other migrants on the way to the city.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) told Fox News the situation in Del Rio was "gut-wrenching" and dangerous.

"The sheer amount of people, it's like getting hit by a 2x4," he said. "You think you're in a third-world country, and this is the United States, this is Del Rio Texas, and there is literally no border at all — it's just been muddied over."

Gonzales blamed the Biden administration for removing restrictions on applications for refugee status set by the former Trump administration. He said that Haitian migrants took this as a sign to go to the U.S. to seek entry.

And he warned that it would not stop at Texas.

"These folks, they're not staying in Texas," said Gonzalez, "they're literally going to every city, they're going to Miami, they're going to Chicago, they're going to New York City, San Francisco, they're going to a neighborhood near you and it impacts everybody."

Here's a local news report about the encampment:

VIDEO: Thousands of migrants crowded under bridge in Del Riowww.youtube.com