Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claims border agents forced migrants to drink from toilets
National Border Patrol Council vice president Hector Garza and Families Belong Together chair Jess Morales Rocketto react to the congresswoman's claim.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., allegedly screamed at Customs and Border Protection agents "in a threatening manner" during a recent visit to a southern border facility in Texas, according to a report — after she made the explosive claim that women being held at at least one facility are being forced to drink "out of toilets."
The New York Democrat allegedly became angry with federal agents on Monday in El Paso during a trip to the area with roughly a dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Washington Examiner reported, citing two witnesses at the location.
“She comes out screaming at our agents, right at the beginning [of the tour] ... Crying and screaming and yelling," one witness said. “The agents, they wanted to respond, but they held back because she’s a congressional delegate. But when you have someone yelling at you in a threatening manner … They were like, ‘Hey, you need to kinda step back.’”
Ocasio-Cortez, seemingly in response to the report, tweeted: "To these CBP officers saying they felt ‘threatened’ by me – They were literally discussing making a GoFundMe for an officer who attacked my on my tour."
She added: "They confiscated my phone, and they were all armed. I’m 5’4”. They’re just upset I exposed their inhumane behavior."
The Examiner report claims Ocasio-Cortez refused to tour the facility, as well, choosing to stay with a family in a holding area instead. The freshman rep previously tweeted about her visit to border facilities, writing that people of all ages were being mistreated and were "drinking out of toilets" as the guards laughed at the migrants' plight right in front of her.
Brian Hastings, deputy chief of Border Patrol, denied Ocasio-Cortez's allegations during an interview on "The Story." He unequivocally stated fresh drinking water is provided to people in custody.
Earlier Monday, the congresswoman accused CBP of having a “violent culture” after a report from ProPublica surfaced about a secret Facebook group where Border Patrol agents allegedly posted graphic and vulgar jokes about the Democratic lawmaker as well as illegal immigrants.
Some of the posts were graphic, doctored images of Ocasio-Cortez, including one that shows a smiling President Trump forcing her head toward his crotch. Other comments refer to Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, as "hoes," and one member encouraged agents to throw a "burrito at these b------."
HISPANIC PASTORS TOUR BORDER FACILITY LAMBASTED BY AOC AND SAY THEY ARE ‘SHOCKED BY MISINFORMATION’
Ocasio-Cortez said she wasn't surprised by the posts, especially after the treatment of migrants she said she witnessed at the facility. "It's just indicative of the violent culture that we saw," she said.
The purported posts were slammed by the head of Border Patrol on Monday as "completely inappropriate."
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"These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see — and expect — from our agents day in and day out," Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost said. "Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable."
Fox News' Nick Givas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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