By Melanie Eversley
A U.S. congresswoman from New York is pressing the Biden administration for answers about the treatment of Haitian migrants who are being deported in large numbers and being corralled by border officials in ways that are reminiscent of the slavery era.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, has written a letter to acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy Miller demanding answers by Friday, The New York Times reports.
Among the fellow Democrats who joined Maloney in sending the letter were Congressional Black Caucus member Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
“We were alarmed to see footage of the inhumane treatment of Haitian and other migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback,” wrote Maloney, chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee. “Reports that thousands of migrants are being deported to Haiti despite turmoil in that country raise serious concerns about whether the federal government is failing to treat migrants — including those fleeing violence, political instability, and natural disasters — with respect and dignity and affording them a meaningful opportunity to seek asylum,” the letter continued.
