Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams border patrol agents who degraded migrants

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused the US Border Patrol of having a “violent culture” after ProPublica reported on the existence of a private Facebook group in which Customs and Border Patrol agents degraded migrants and Latina lawmakers.

CBP officials shared sexist and xenophobic posts on the group's page, joking about migrants who died crossing into the country or in US custody, ProPublica reported.

“They're threatening violence on members of Congress. How do you think they're treating caged children+families？” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

CBP issued a statement on Monday calling the Facebook posts “disturbing” and said it had initiated an investigation into the matter.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused the US Border Patrol of having a “violent culture” after ProPublica reported on the existence of a private Facebook group in which current and former Customs and Border Patrol agents degraded migrants and Latina lawmakers.

CBP officials shared sexist and xenophobic posts on the group's page, joking about migrants who died crossing into the country or in US custody, ProPublica reported. Some posts targeted Ocasio-Cortez, including two photoshopped images of her engaged in oral sex with the president and a detained migrant.

“9,500 CBP officers sharing memes about dead migrants and discussing violence and sexual misconduct towards members of Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Monday. “How on earth can CBP's culture be trusted to care for refugees humanely？”

The report broke just hours after Ocasio-Cortez arrived in El Paso, Texas on a planned trip to visit migrant detention facilities with fellow members of the House Hispanic Caucus.

Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1145727696091193344？ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 9,500 CBP officers sharing memes about dead migrants and discussing violence and sexual misconduct towards members of Congress.How on earth can CBP's culture be trusted to care for refugees humanely？PS I have no plans to change my itinerary & will visit the CBP station today.

Several members of the Facebook group lashed out at Ocasio-Cortez and Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar — one encouraged officers at the facility to throw a “burrito at these bitches,” while others described them using profanities.

“They're threatening violence on members of Congress. How do you think they're treating caged children+families？” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1145762778537496578？ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Here's @AOC outside the CBP station in Hondo Pass. She says the women detained inside are being forced to drink out of toilets. pic.twitter.com/0XerZe2AmB

CBP issued a statement on Monday calling the Facebook posts “disturbing” and said it had initiated an investigation into the matter.

“These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see—and expect—from our agents day in and day out. Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable,” Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost said in a statement.

The congresswoman sparked debate last month when she called the US's migrant detention facilities “concentration camps.” Some took issue with Ocasio-Cortez's implicit comparison of the detention centers and World World II-era death camps.