White House official knew no Haitian migrants were "whipped" but did not challenge narrative

A Freedom of Information Act request uncovered that White House officials were given information that debunked the story that Border Patrol agents “whipped” Haitian migrants in 2021 but pushed forward with an inflammatory press conference anyway.

On Sept. 24, 2021, President Joe Biden fueled the misinterpretation of photos taken in Del Rio, Texas, at a press conference.

"To see people treated like they did, horses barely running over, people being strapped — it's outrageous," Biden said at the time, making a whipping motion with his hand. "I promise you, those people will pay. There will be an investigation underway now, and there will be consequences. There will be consequences."

Via a FOIA request, the Heritage Foundation obtained an internal email sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas just hours after Biden’s comments refuting that border agents whipped anyone, reports Fox News.

Marsha Espinosa, assistant secretary of DHS public affairs, emailed Mayorkas and other top officials a news interview where the photographer at the scene said he did not witness any whipping.

But two and a half hours after receiving the email, Mayorkas joined then-press secretary Jen Psaki at a White House press conference and continued to push the false narrative.

"Our nation saw horrifying images that do not reflect who we are. We know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism," Mayorkas said.

Mayorkas deflected questions about the photographer’s own claims over the course of the press briefing despite defending the agents in an earlier appearance alongside Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, according to Fox News.

Brandon Judd, president of the labor union that represents Border Patrol staff, told Fox News that the email was “smoking gun evidence.”

"It clearly shows they are willing to lie to the American people for their self-interests," Judd said. "They withheld facts and anytime you withhold facts from the American people… you should step down from your job. Better men step down. This clearly shows they are not better men."

The investigation found “no evidence” that agents struck migrants or were carrying whips but accused some agents of using “denigrating and offensive” language and handling a horse around a child in an “unsafe manner.”