In April, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Border Patrol had turned the space between two border walls along the San Diego-Tijuana border into a de facto open-air holding cell, keeping migrants there for days without blankets, food or adequate water supplies. This contradicted rules meant to ensure humane treatment set by Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol's parent agency. The report was not disputed after it was published — that there were many dozens of migrants between the walls was plain to anyone who could view the area. It led to three House Democrats, including San Diego's Juan Vargas, writing to the Border Patrol to express sharp concern.
Now, Customs and Border Protection essentially says this was a collective hallucination. In a July 5 letter responding to the House members, the agency said the migrants "were not constrained from further movement" by border agents. The migrants, you see, chose of their own volition to go without food and water for several days. Confusingly, the same letter also acknowledged that at the time, Border Patrol facilities "were experiencing capacity issues" and operational challenges.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, hopes the department isn't "lying to us in Congress" and said he'll pursue an external investigation. Good. It's the Border Patrol that can't be accepted at face value.
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