The White House has criticised images of US border patrol agents in Texas rounding up Haitian migrants on horseback.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, was asked if the use of horses represented an “appropriate tactic”.
She responded saying “I have seen some of the footage. I don’t have the full context. I can’t imagine what context would make that appropriate.”
She added: “I don’t think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.”
Footage emerged of over ten thousand illegal migrants attempting to cross the Mexican-US border into the United States.
Calling it a “challenging and heartbreaking situation”, the homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, issued a stark warning: “If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family’s life.”
In the past few weeks more than 12,000 Haitians have arrived in Del Rio, gathering in a huge makeshift camp under and near a bridge.
Del Rio’s mayor Bruno Lozano has declared a state of emergency.
Describing the situation as “unprecedented” and “surreal”, he said border patrol had been overwhelmed and “agitated” migrants were living in impossible conditions.
The border crossing at Del Rio was temporarily closed on Friday “to respond to urgent safety and security needs presented by” the influx of migrants, US Customs and Border Protection said.
Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez, whose district includes Del Rio, said in an interview with Fox News that the situation is “as bad as I’ve ever seen it”.
“When you see the amount of people and how chaotic it is and how there is literally no border, folks are coming to and from Mexico with ease, it’s gut wrenching and it’s dangerous,” Mr Gonzalez added.
Reports indicate the migrants are mostly Haitians, with some Cubans, Peruvians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans also present.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the number of migrants detained at the US-Mexico border in July exceeded 200,000 for the first time in 21 years, government data shows.
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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