PORT-AU-PRINCE (Dispatches) - A group of Haitian asylum seekers who crossed into Texas as part of a migration surge last September filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over alleged mistreatment by U.S. immigration authorities.
Mirard Joseph, seen in a widely published photo of a Border Patrol agent on horseback grabbing him by the collar, said it was “the most humiliating experience of his life” when the agent “lashed at him” with his reins and tried dragging him back to the Rio Grande, which separates the U.S. from Mexico.
An unnamed Haitian plaintiff, identified as Paul Doe in the legal complaint, said he saw U.S. authorities beating migrants and shoving them back into the river.
As several migrants attempted to use a rope tied to the U.S. bank of the river to cross more safely, Paul said he saw an officer cut the rope and yell at the migrants to go back as they struggled to keep their heads above water.
The migrants are represented by immigrant advocacy groups Justice Action Center, Haitian Bridge Alliance and Innovation Law Lab. They are asking the government to help them return to the U.S. and give them the opportunity to apply for asylum as well as money to cover their expenses.