To: Kevin McAleenan, Secretary of Homeland Security

Border Patrol agents must be screened for white nationalism affiliation

Current and former Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents created a secret Facebook group to joke about migrant deaths and post derogatory comments about Members of Congress and immigrants crossing the border. The language used in the posts and comments is similar to those of white nationalists groups.

CBP agents must be screened for ties to white nationalists groups.

Why is this important?

A secret Facebook group composed of approximately 9,500 current and former Border Patrol agents has been discovered.

In the posts, members of the group joke about the deaths of migrants, discuss throwing burritos at Latino members of Congress visiting the detention centers in Texas, and they posted a vulgar illustration of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez engaging in oral sex with a detained immigrant.

This border patrol Facebook group is just the latest example of law enforcement affiliation with hate groups on social media, particularly Facebook.

Hundreds of active-duty and retired law enforcement officers have been found to be a part of Confederate, anti-Islam, anti-government and white supremacists groups on the social media platform.

In 2018, Patrol Council, the union representing Border Patrol agents across the country endorsed a video that included white nationalists and anti-Muslim extremists.

The xenophobic and racists attacks against immigrants who are simply looking for a better life for themselves and their families must stop.

Now, more than ever, with the rise of hateful ideas like white nationalism it’s imperative to make sure our border agents are not infected with this hate.

Sign this petition to urge the Department of Homeland Security to screen their employees for possible ties to white nationalists groups.