January 1, Border agents fired for ‘hateful’ Facebook posts

The U.S. Border Patrol fired two Border patrol agents among 60 participating in a private Facebook group that mocked immigrants and legislators, investigators said.

Forty-three agents were suspended without pay, 12 received written reprimands, and three received other penalties, such as suspension with pay.

Initially, the Customs and Border Patrol Discipline Review Board proposed that 24 of the 60 agents lose their jobs after media reports of the Facebook group in July 2019.

One of the fired agents posted an image of Pepe the Frog, “a symbol of the alt-right and white supremacy,” and altered images of President Joe Biden touching Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). The other posted homophobic memes and a doctored photo of then-President Donald Trump raping a member of Congress. The report doesn’t name the lawmaker, but Ocasio-Cortez previously said she was depicted being raped in the Facebook group “I’m 10-15.”

According to the report, “I’m 10-15” is Border Patrol code for migrants in custody. The group had over 9,000 current and former agents as members, including two agency chiefs.

“CBP will not tolerate hateful, misogynist, or racist behavior or any conduct that is unbecoming of the honor we hold as public servants,” the Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

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2 border agents are fired for offensive Facebook posts