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.”
After scrutiny over the negative impact on the mental health of children, social media apps have begun adding stricter limitations to parental controls. Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focusing on recommendations for entertainment platforms, joined Cheddar News to talk about the changes, why they might not be enough, and what parents can do to help. "It's almost that the companies — whether they're Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, or whatever — have to start the process from the beginning of designing the product," he said. "They have to be much more clear about age verification so that a 12-year-old and 11-year-old can't get on there." Steyer also pushed for federal legislation to reign in the issue.
As Big Tech companies from the U.S. like Google and Apple managed to build market dominance overseas, the European Union has decided to curb what it sees as monopolistic growth. Greg Martin, the co-founder of Rainmaker Securities, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the impact of the antitrust regulations being adopted. "I think there's a lot of great outcomes here, but those will be far down the road [because] I do think there's some interoperability things that need to be worked out technologically," he said. "But it's going to be really good ultimately for the consumer in my opinion."
Tenicka Boyd is a digital creator making content that reflects her two passions: activism and style. The TikTok star joined Cheddar News to talk about her platform and new looks this Spring. Boyd admitted that at first she wanted to remain anonymous on the social media platform before finding her passion. "I just joined TikTok hoping that no one would find me, and I started creating colorful content," she said. "I didn't know that you could monetize this and really do it full time, and I just followed my passion because I realized that you can have multiple different lives and do multiple different things."
Catching you up on what you need to know on March 25, 2022, with Ukrainian forces retaking Kyiv, 300 deaths reported from the bombing of a theater used as a shelter in Mariupol, U.S. regulators ditch a climate review of natural gas projects, the 94th Academy Awards, and more.
North Korea says it test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile under the orders of leader Kim Jong Un, who vowed to continue expanding his nuclear arsenal while preparing for a “long-standing confrontation” with the United States.
Ukrainian authorities in the besieged ruins of Mariupol say that about 300 people died when a Russian airstrike blew up a theater where hundreds of civilians were sheltering.
Survivors of the Parkland School Shooting along with activists from March For Our Lives set up on the National Mall on Thursday. Their demonstration displayed 1,100 bodybags that spelled out the phrase “Thoughts and Prayers” to remind lawmakers that condolences are not enough and to push for action on guns. Each bag represented 150 lives lost due to gun violence. Trevon Bosley, a board member of March For Our Lives, joined Cheddar News to discuss the organization's return to Washington, DC. "The main thing bringing us back is that we have not seen anything being done on the national level for gun violence.” Bosley said. “We’re not seeing anything changed, and we’re not seeing lives being saved”
UK's prince William and his wife were met by protesters during their visit to Jamaica. Cheddar News speaks with political strategist Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who explains why the country's path to independence is relevant to Americans.
