By Steve Neavling
A new report by two human rights groups accuses the U.S. Border Patrol of rampant human rights abuses against migrants, sexual harassment, intimidation, falsifying documents, and a lack of accountability.
The report, “Abuses at the U.S.-Mexico Border: How to Address Failures and Protect Rights,” was compiled by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) and alleges “frequent and severe” abuses.
“We have documented a shocking pattern, including cases of misuse of lethal force, intimidation, sexual harassment, and falsifying documents,” WOLA director for defense oversight Adam Isacson said in a statement. “The lack of accountability is so widespread that it helps cement in place a culture that enables human rights violations. The abuses keep coming because impunity is so likely.”
The report claims the agency routinely commits human rights abuses without holding agents responsible.
“The lack of accountability is so widespread that it helps cement in place a culture that enables human rights violations,” the report states. “The abuses keep coming because impunity is so likely.”
A WOLA database lists more than 400 alleged incidents of abuses against migrants since 2020.
“Many, if not most, CBP officers, and agents in CBP’s Border Patrol agency are professionals who seek to follow best practices,” the report states. “However, the frequency and severity of abuse allegations indicate that a substantial number of officers and agents don’t meet that standard.”
The report makes more than 40 recommendations to curb the human rights abuses, including disciplining agents who mistreat migrants and changing the culture that allows abusive behavior.
“A U.S.-Mexico border that is well governed and that also treats migrants and asylum seekers humanely can go hand in hand and should not be seen as an unattainable aspiration,” the report states.
