The Haitian Border Crisis Op

"This is why the Haitian refugees came: political operatives spread rumors in migrant communities saying one specific area is accepting Haitians or Central Americans. 

It is what happened in November 2018 when Trump wanted it to look like the border was out of control to enact a national emergency. This was when former Chief Rodney Scott ordered agents to lob tear gas and pepper bullets at Central American women and children. Political operatives spread rumors the port was accepting asylum applications. They went to apply for asylum and got gassed. 

I know about the rumors because I know photographers who were in the camp. Two and a half months later, Trump uses it to enact national border emergency. The president’s decision incited instant condemnation from Democrats, who called it an unconstitutional abuse of his authority and vowed to overturn it with Republican support. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/us/politics/national-emergency-trump.amp.html 

 As this article states, the rumor of asylum is what started the Haitian refugees to come: 

Why 15,000 Migrants Ended Up in One Spot on the U.S.-Mexico Border. 

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/23/del-rio-desperation-dysfunction-immigration-513978 

The Biden administration’s response to the migrant crisis comes straight from Trump’s playbook: try to deter more from coming. It’s not working. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/news/magazine/2021/09/23/del-rio-desperation-dysfunction-immigration-513978 

The rumor went like this: 

First, information went around that, while most of the border was closed, U.S. immigration authorities were allowing people to cross and ask for asylum in Mexicali — on the border with Calexico, California — and in Acuña, the Mexican city across from “Del Rio. (This was not true, but it spread like wildfire among people yearning for a glimmer of hope.) 

 Second, the rumor said that Sept. 16 would be the best day to travel. That would be Mexico’s Independence Day, and migrants figured that the Mexican authorities, who have “bowed to U.S. pressure to more stringently police immigrants in Mexico, would be preoccupied, allowing them to travel within the country unimpeded northward. Finally, the bus routes to Acuña were cheaper than to other spots along the border, like Mexicali.  

So, as el Día de la Independencia de México arrived, thousands of people who had heard the rumors — by word of mouth or on WhatsApp or on Haitian social media — began traveling to Acuña to cross into Del Rio.” 

 So, the question is--Who started the rumor? 

You have to consider the point where they were told to cross. This specific area under the bridge essentially trapped the Haitians between the river and the fence. This is strategically advantageous to … ?

It’s advantageous to the Border Patrol. They can make the area look out of control, slow walk the processing like agents told me they were ordered to do under Trump before he got the national emergency declaration and let the numbers get out of control. 

The only problem was the media was not pushing it that hard. But you know what would get their attention? A picture of agents on horses charging Black refugees. Why all the sudden did agents finally decide to try and stop them that one time? Because they wanted the outrage. They know photographers were on the south bank. They could see them. Another way you know this was done for the reaction is because the border in this spot is actually in the middle of the river. The horse patrol was on the north bank, not in the middle of the river. Once a person sets one foot on US soil, agents cannot legally push them back. Those refugees who were attacked were past the middle of the river. Those agents were breaking the law by trying to push them back over the border line. Their only option was to apprehend them, which is what the Haitians wanted because they are trying to apply for asylum. 

I don’t want to reshare the pics because they are too traumatizing, but feel free to look yourself. They are clearly well past the middle of the river. 

There’s no doubt Republican political operatives did this. Which ones? That’s the question. 

 One more thing, this rumor targeted specifically at Haitians. There were some Cubans and likely others, but predominantly it was aimed at Haitians. 

Why? Because Black Americans gave Biden the win. This is aimed at chipping away that support." 

 -- Jenn Budd. Former Senior Border Patrol Agent/Senior Intelligence agent, whistle blower & immigrant rights activist.