Recently, Emily Green write a story for VICE News titled, “US Border Agents Are Removing Haitian Migrants Using Horses and Whips”.
The cover photo depicts a border patrol agent, mounted on horseback grabbing a Haitian immigrant as he attempts to flea. Near the immigrants face is a stray rope. VICE seems to believe that this “rope” is a whip.
“Border Patrol officers on horseback swinging whips in the faces of Haitians. Families with toddlers scrambling across the Rio Grande back into Mexico to avoid being deported. Haitian parents crying as they faced the prospect of being deported home to a social and political crisis that seems to see no end.” VICE reported.
In fact, this “whip” is not a whip at all. Its extra slack from the horses reins. Reins are connected at the horses mouth with a bit, then held by the hands of the rider. The reins tell the horse what direction to move in.
VICE added “Those were among the scenes in the town of Del Rio, Texas, over the weekend as the U.S. government took a hard-line stance against thousands of newly-arrived Haitian migrants seeking protection. The situation is becoming a public relations and humanitarian challenge for U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, as images of Border Patrol agents on horseback screaming at and chasing desperate Haitians reverberated across the internet.”
It’s seems as though the outlet was simply looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble, and further polarize the American people.
The FOP said in a tweet, “For all you Twitter warriors out there: these are NOT whips. And no, Border Patrol agents are NOT “whipping” people. They are REINS… Stay with us here, like a steering wheel is used to drive a car, the reins are used to “drive” the horse. Thanks for coming to our TED talk.“