Far-left Representative Ilhan Omar joined MSNBC’s Joy Reid in pushing a disputed theory that Border Patrol agents were using ‘whips’ on illegal immigrants at the border, describing the treatment as “obviously systematic racism.”
The controversy began with images circulating on social media which purport to show a Border Patrol agent using a “whip” to corral predominantly Haitian illegal immigrants in Texas.
Reid led Omar (D-MN) by pushing the claim.
“I was not aware that whips – which come from the slave era, slavery era – were part of the package that we issue to any sort of law enforcement or government sanctioned personnel,” she said.
Omar replied that she found it “appalling” and that “there is obviously systematic racism at play here.”
“We have seen many people come to our border, and the fact that we are dealing with mainly Black migrants and Black immigrants and asylum seekers at our border in this kind of way really speaks to the kind of racism, systematic racism that is embedded in that department and all of the departments that deal with our immigration policy,” she continued.
‘What we’ve seen was cruel, inhumane’: Rep. Omar addresses pictures that appear to show a Border Patrol agent on horseback with a whip to deter migrants pic.twitter.com/ouyuAzRwFu
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 21, 2021
Ilhan Omar Spreads Dubious Claims About Border
The ‘whip’ narrative had been thoroughly disputed by the time Reid and Ilhan Omar accused the Border Patrol of racism.
“We do not carry whips and the only thing I see in their hands is reins,” one agent told Fox News.
National Review printed a ‘fact-check’ which disputed the claim, and indeed alternate angles captured of the same incident in question show the reins never actually hit anyone.
What’s unfathomable is the stupidity involved in thinking you’d get away with lying.
Hey @TwitterSupport – You need to pull this tweet and ban this clown.
He’s spreading a ‘big lie.’
Here’s the alternate angle… pic.twitter.com/70BzKUGT7B
— Rusty Weiss ?? (@rustyweiss74) September 21, 2021
And while some outlets were focusing on the agent swinging the reins ‘menacingly,’ Townhall senior writer Julio Rosas spoke with another agent who explained such actions are done to protect the horse or even to protect the person from the horse.
From a Border Patrol source: “Agents use their reins for a lot of reasons. Primarily it’s used to steer the horse, but agents will also spin them sometimes to deter people from getting too close to the horse…We are not aware of anyone being struck with the reins.” https://t.co/yxxyoAuklh pic.twitter.com/t3o3h9dJbL
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 20, 2021
Omar, not content with focusing on a dubious claim to spread accusations of racism, made other outlandish comments.
The Minnesota Democrat says the Haitian migrants have a right to claim asylum based on an earthquake.
Haiti is an island nation 2,000 miles from Del Rio, Texas, where they are crossing the border.
“These are people who have experienced a natural disaster which allows for people who experience that to seek asylum,” she suggested.
That claim would make little sense, considering an Associated Press report that indicates “nearly all Haitians reach the U.S. border” by waiting “perhaps years” to cross the border.
In other words, their US asylum claims are bogus on their face. https://t.co/SCYZOYs1F4
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) September 20, 2021
RELATED: Drone Footage Emerges Showing Thousands of Migrants Under a Bridge in Texas
Omar: We Owe These Migrants
Omar went on to suggest that “American policy” has “contributed to their [Haitian migrants] starvation” and as such, “we owe Haitians the right … to seek asylum.”
These developments are heartbreaking and the lack of urgency to assist is alarming. Most of these Haitian migrants have already been through a lot before they even made the dangerous journey to our border. https://t.co/0kdiRblIcf
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 16, 2021
Joy Reid also promoted the idea that Haitians are “really our neighbors.”
Omar has apparently buried the hatchet with Reid.
It was just a few weeks ago that the congresswoman accused Reid of making Islamophobic comments.
Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.
We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming. https://t.co/megnZyL9dd
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 1, 2020
The USCIS website indicates several reasons for a legitimate claim to asylum in the United States including persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
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