A new Border Patrol enforcement policy has been disseminated to agents warning them not to enforce immigration laws or attempt to arrest migrants near waterways, walls, canals, or other barriers. According to a CBP source, the policy most likely foreshadows pending administrative disciplinary charges against members of the agency’s Horse Patrol Unit lodged during the Haitian migrant crisis in Del Rio.
The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the document also warns against repatriating migrants without due process by encouraging them to return to Mexico. The memorandum from Tony L. Barker, Acting Chief of the Border Patrol’s Law Enforcement Directorate, was disseminated on Friday.
Specifically, the document advises agents to follow the instructions given when apprehending migrants at or near the immediate border area:
When encountering individuals in dangerous environments, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) should take extra law enforcement safety precautions. Whatever the situation encountered, such as a river, canal, or other waterway; the border fence, wall, or other barriers keep the following general guidance in mind:
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If individuals are “staging” along the United States international border, BPAs may use deterrence measures, give instructions not to cross, and/or contact foreign government partners for assistance.
