Washington, D.C. — This morning, ProPublica published an article that exposed a private Facebook group, including 9,500 current and former Border Patrol agents, where sick jokes about dead immigrants, disturbing sexist remarks and disgusting images are freely shared. U.S. Representatives Veronica Escobar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were among the many targets of the secret group’s disturbing discussions.
Responding to the disturbing report, Latino Victory Project Interim President Melissa Mark-Viverito issued the following statement:
“A Facebook group where Border Patrol agents had the audacity to make sick and twisted jokes about dead immigrants and make appalling statements about members of Congress is beyond disturbing – it’s disgusting. The agents’ behavior makes a mockery out of CBP, and it confirms a lack of accountability within the agency. Public trust has been broken by tax-payer funded employees of the CBP and a reprimand is not enough. The suitable course of action for this inappropriate behavior is for the secret group to be shut down, immediate dismissal of any current agents who posted or engaged with the hate-filled content, and a Congressional hearing to hold those at CBP accountable.”
Mark-Viverito added: “Given the number of immigrants and children who have died in U.S. custody, these Border Patrol agents made it clear that people like them are a menace to those currently in detention centers, especially to the children under their care.”
