Businessinsidercoza US halts use of horse patrol after agents on horseback were seen charging Haitian migrants

US Border Patrol agents on horseback try to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment in Del Rio, Texas.

PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images

The US Department of Homeland Security is pausing horse patrol amid backlash over officers on horseback confronting Haitian migrants.

A DHS official said: "We have ceased the use of the horse patrol in Del Rio temporarily."

The Biden administration is deporting thousands of Haitians. Many want asylum in the US.

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The Department of Homeland Security has paused the use of horse patrol in Del Rio, Texas, CNN reported, after photos showed agents on horseback charging toward Haitian migrants while carrying whips.

A DHS official told reporters on Thursday: "We have ceased the use of the horse patrol in Del Rio temporarily. We'll prioritise other methods for identifying individuals who might be in medical distress."

The images were widely criticised, and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that the footage was "horrific" and "horrible."

"It's important for people to know this is not who we are," she said. "That's not who the Biden-Harris administration is."

DHS announced an investigation into the incident on Monday, tweeting: "DHS does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody and we take these allegations very seriously."

The Biden administration is currently deporting thousands of Haitians. The Associated Press reported that flights to Haiti started expelling thousands of migrants on Sunday, and the process was ongoing.

Thousands of Haitian migrants have ended up in Del Rio seeking asylum after Haiti suffered a massive earthquake and the country's president was assassinated.

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