Commentary: This week, ProPublica released disturbing screenshots depicting a private Facebook group, created and made up of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, some including high ranking officials. These screenshots contain incredibly horrific and disturbing images, in addition to very degrading comments about migrants.
This type of behavior by any federal agency, especially one that receives billions in taxpayer funding, and who receive zero accountability, transparency, and oversight, must be dealt with immediately. The safety of our communities and our families depends on it.
“CBP has consistently demonstrated, and acted in a toxic manner, embedded in a culture of sexism, racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy. It is more than just a few “bad apples,” but an agency that has historically done nothing to hold their agency or officers accountable for the deaths of migrants in their custody, the separation of children from their families, and the blatant disregard of people seeking asylum and safety.”
-- Stevie Paz, NM CAFé Digital Organizer
CBP’s behavior is decades in the making, and an institution that has continued to threaten our families and our communities. The money that has been continuously thrown at this agency, by a Congress that has continuously perpetuated a falsehood of fears--only furthers this very abusive agenda. NM CAFé will continue to push back on the need to further fund the terrorizing of our borders, until this institution is held accountable, and eventually ended.
We call on Congress to take this report seriously, launch an investigation, and to look towards an intense cultural shift at the agency.