White House press secretary Jen Psaki says that the viral video of a U.S. Border Patrol agent whipping a Haitian migrant is “obviously horrific.” The migrants were attempting to cross the Rio Grande into the U.S.
“I have seen some of the footage. I don’t have the full context. I can’t imagine what context would make that appropriate, but I don’t have additional details,” Psaki said, per NBC News. “I don’t think anyone seeing that footage would think it’s acceptable or appropriate.”
She continued: “It’s obviously horrific, the footage. I don’t have any more information on it, so let me venture to do that and we’ll see if there is more to convey.”
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Paski did not confirm whether the Biden administration will cancel plans to deport the migrants back to Haiti.
“We are constantly assessing circumstances on the ground,” Psaki said, according to Politico. “Obviously our objective here is not just to work to address the circumstances — which are very difficult — in Del Rio, but also to continue to work with the officials in Haiti to improve the conditions [and] to provide assistance. We’re doing all these pieces at the same time.”
The country has been in a state of disarray since Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in July and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in August.
[Via]