Mayorkas doubles down on Border Patrol criticism, even as 'whip' narrative crumbles

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas doubled down on his criticism of Border Patrol horse patrol agents who had blocked Haitian migrants from entering the U.S., claiming the images "conjured up" America's history of "systemic racism" – even as the narrative promoted by the White House that migrants were whipped continues to crumble.

"The investigation into what occurred has not yet concluded. We know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism," he said.

Initial claims that agents, who were using long reins to control their horses, were using "whips" were quickly debunked by officials and other agents – but activists and elected Democrats have continued to fuel it, while claiming it "evoked" images of slavery because the migrants are Black.