Mocking a minor who died in U.S. government custody. Threatening to throw “burritos” at Latina lawmakers. Portraying ー in a manufactured image ー Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez engaged in oral sex at a detention center.
That’s just some of the vulgar content uncovered on a secret Facebook group containing current and former Customs and Border Protection officers that critics say is evidence of pervasive sexism and racism within the federal enforcement agency.
News of the group’s existence, which was revealed by a ProPublica investigation on Monday, comes amid widespread outrage over how the government is approaching the treatment of migrants at the southern border, including the deaths of multiple people held in U.S. custody, the separation of children from their parents, and reports of inhumane conditions at detention centers.
“I’m concerned that perhaps nobody brought this to the attention of authorities within the border control or that supervisors didn’t act to shut it down earlier,” A.C. Thompson, the ProPublica reporter who broke the story, told Cheddar. “What we were seeing in the group was people talking about incredibly disparaging things regarding women, regarding migrants, regarding other folks.”
“It is concerning that it’s a group this big.” Thompson’s reporting found that the group has about 9,500 members, including those confirmed to be current or former border control officers.
“There are likely some private citizens who are in not in the border control, but we can’t say that for sure,” explained Thompson.
He said he found the group through screenshots sent by sources in the Border Patrol.
The agency, which says that abusive and derisive comments about race, gender, and national origin made on private social media violate its standards of conduct, has now begun an investigation.
“These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see — and expect — from our agents day in and day out. Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable,” said CBP Chief Carla Provost in a written statement.
In a statement to Cheddar, a Facebook spokesperson said: “We want everyone using Facebook to feel safe. Our Community Standards apply across Facebook, including in secret Groups. We’re cooperating with federal authorities in their investigation."
Spokespeople for both Rep. Veronica Escobar, who was also discussed disparagingly in the Facebook group, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to a request for comment.
However, Escobar tweeted Monday, “We need greater transparency, oversight, and especially after the reports about the vile Facebook group, we need accountability. No person who has that much disdain for another human being — especially the most vulnerable among us — should have a gun or a badge.”
The ProPublica report was published as members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Escobar and Ocasio-Cortez, visited detention facilities on the border.
“What I think it may do is cause some soul-searching and some shake-up at the border control, and at the broader Customs and Border Patrol agency, and some discussion about what is the culture here,” said Thompson.
“A lot of it seems to be in response that sort of a sense that agents feel that they’ve been demonized. But instead of reacting professionally, they’re reacting in highly, highly offensive ways.”
Markets were pointing mostly lower to end the week as investors reacted to the threat of a Covid resurgence in Europe. Jeff Schulze, Investment Strategist at ClearBridge Investments joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss Friday's pre-market activity.
A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit against financial services platform Robinhood following the meme stock saga that swept the investment world. The judge said it found no wrongdoing on Robinhood's part after the platform halted trading on popular meme stocks Gamestop and AMC.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
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The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Uber after it was discovered that disabled people were being disproportionately affected by extra “wait time” fees. Attorney Jonathan Bell joined Cheddar to discuss.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has been accused by the EU of manufacturing a migration crisis along his border with Poland. But, even as tensions appear to be stabilizing at the moment, Ali Noorani, the president and CEO of National Immigration Forum and the host of the "Only in America" podcast spoke to Cheddar about the ongoing danger to the migrants who hail from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. "What is going to happen to folks who are in Belarus who came from these countries? Is Lukashenko going to provide them asylum and protection in Belarus, or are they going to continue to be political pawns in a geopolitical battle," he said. "Real people's lives are being put at great risk."
A group of crypto investors has come together to raise millions of dollars in the hopes of owning a rare piece of the U.S. Constitution. According to the crypto group, "Constitution DAO" It is time to put the constitution in the hands of the people. CEO and Founder of Metaversal Yossi Hasson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Polarization is among the defining traits of American politics in the 21st century. Sometimes it seems like the only thing we can all agree on is the fact that we don't really agree on anything. But those divisions don't just stop at whether you vote red or blue.
A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that rather than just two political buckets, we have nine. The "2021 political typology" as it's called distinguishes between different ideological subsets in the Democratic and Republican party. It encompasses everyone from the loudest revolutionary lefties, to the loudest insurrection apologists on the right.
Andrew Daniller, research associate at the Pew Research Center, joins None of the Above to discuss.
Tanya Snyder, transportation reporter at Politico, joins None of the Above with J.D. Durkin to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure law, what it means for the electric vehicle industry and whether Democrats will be able to capitalize on the legislative victory ahead of the 2022 midterms.
Heading into 2022, the eyes of political nerds like us are fixed on statehouses across the country. State legislatures are in the process of taking the data from the 2020 census and using it to draw new congressional districts. The process has major implications for midterms, as Republicans could retake the majority just by gerrymandering enough seats into their column. In Maryland, state level Democrats are considering several maps, one of which would completely draw out the only Republican from the state in Congress.
Bruce DePuyt, senior reporter at Maryland Matters, and Helen Brewer, legal analyst at Princeton's Electoral Innovation Lab, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
