US Homeland Security Minister Alejandro Mayorkas said on Wednesday (September 22) that photos showing border police members pushing Haitian migrants on horseback at the US-Mexico border did not reflect the identity of the United States, nor the action of all of this force.
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In a snapshot taken by a photographer employed by AFP, a border guard on horseback grabs a man by his t-shirt on the American side of the Rio Grande, the natural border between the two countries, near Del Rio in Texas.
On another, he keeps a group at bay by twisting his reins, in a threatening posture, to force them to turn back towards Mexico.
Clichés at the origin of strong reactions
These images "
do not reflect who we are as a country, or what the American border police are
," Mayorkas assured the Committee on Homeland Security in the House of Representatives.
He recalled having ordered the opening of an investigation and promised rapid results, "
within a few days and not weeks
".
Read alsoUnited States: a photo of migrants tracked down by border guards on horseback sparks outrage
The day before, he announced on Twitter that the agents identified in the photos had been assigned to administrative tasks.
These pictures, which have been around the world, have caused a stir in the United States, even close allies of President Joe Biden.
"
These images make you nauseous,
" said Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Vice President Kamala Harris called them "
horrible
", saying "
human beings should never be treated like this
."
Authorities in difficulty
For some, these migrants are equated with cattle or are reminiscent of the treatment African Americans endured by mounted police, prison guards, or slave owners.
Read alsoCriticized, the Biden administration accelerates the deportation of 15,000 migrants gathered under a bridge
The US government is struggling to cope with a sudden and massive influx of thousands of migrants, including many Haitians, who have been massing for several days under a bridge in the small border town of Del Rio, Texas.
The authorities have started to return them by plane to their country, a decision also criticized, as the small Caribbean country is plunged into a political, security, and humanitarian crisis.
"
We have a plan to respond
" to this influx of migrants, assured Mayorkas.
"
We apply it, it takes time and we are starting to see the results
."
Migrants keep arriving
Thousands of people continued to cross the Rio Grande on Wednesday to try to obtain asylum in the United States.
Many Haitians have made the trip to the United States from countries in South America where they had settled after the terrible earthquake of 2010 that devastated the Caribbean country.
A Colombian official said Wednesday that 19,000 migrants, mostly Haitians, had gathered in the north of the country, on the border with Panama, to attempt a dangerous crossing to the United States.
Discussions are also underway with Latin American countries, such as Chile or Brazil, "
to see if they would accept the return of Haitians who come from these countries,
" said Alejandro Mayorkas, describing the situation as "
complicated.
".
Even though the US government tells exodus candidates that the borders are not open, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday accused the Biden administration and
the
Democratic "
left wing
" of encouraging migrants and “
tolerate a major border security crisis
”.
