Another private Facebook group with an apparent link to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that was just discovered contains vulgar and sexually explicit posts, according to screenshots shared with two sources familiar with the social media pages.
The secret Facebook group, “The Real CBP Nation,” which has about 1,000 members, includes an image that pokes fun at immigrant families, multiple degrading memes from Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other derisive images referring to Asians. and African Americans.
A meme posted after Ocasio-Cortez’s July 1 visit to a Texas border station shows a doctored image of her gesture toward a water feature with the caption “Is this a toilet?” After her visit, Ocasio-Cortez reported that immigrants at the border station were drinking water from a toilet, a charge Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan has rejected.
CNN obtained the images after a report published earlier this week from another secret Facebook group, called “I’m 10-15,” for current and former Border Patrol agents that reportedly contained jokes about the deaths of immigrants, derogatory comments about Latina congresswomen, and a lewd meme involving at least one of them.
“Racism and sexism just don’t belong to the Border Patrol,” said the first source familiar with the images.
The existence of the group “I’m 10-15” was revealed by the research group ProPublica. That Facebook group changed its name to “America First” and then shelved the page on Monday, preventing any further posts or comments, according to a second source and a screenshot of the page.
CNN has not been able to access or review any of the Facebook groups in question or verify how many members of the group in private Facebook communities are or were affiliated with CBP.
Some members of the Facebook group “The Real CBP Nation” reacted to the closing of “I’m 10-15” in screenshots of posts and comments.
“Disappointed in everyone who jumped ship,” wrote one person along with two laughing emojis.
On Tuesday another member of the group wrote: “Lost 7,000 members in one day. Impressive”.
A CBP spokesperson did not comment on the content of the online posts, but said the new information obtained by CNN was forwarded to the Office of Professional Responsibility. It was unclear if CBP’s internal investigation office was already aware of the second Facebook group or the content that was posted. It is also unclear whether a separate investigation has been launched.
On Monday, CBP reported that it had immediately informed the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security and that it had launched an investigation following a media report that revealed the existence of the Facebook group “I’m 10-15.”
Responding to a question about the posts on “I’m 10-15,” CBP’s Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Professional Responsibility, Matthew Klein, said in a statement Monday that those posts were “hosted on a private Facebook group. which may include a number of CBP employees. ‘
LOOK: Border agent expresses disgust for a secret CBP group on Facebook
Reports of possible misconduct on social media this week prompted calls from agency leaders to hold anyone who has violated the rules of conduct accountable. “We take all the messages posted today very seriously. These do not represent the thoughts of the men and women of the US Border Patrol. Each of these allegations will be thoroughly investigated, “Brian Hastings, Border Patrol chief of operations, said Monday in an interview on” Newsroom. ” with CNN’s Brooke Baldwin.
However, the problem is not new to CBP. In 2018, a high-ranking official warned all agency employees about a possible disciplinary act, after being informed of a private Facebook group with inappropriate and offensive posts, according to a memo obtained by CNN.
“Recently, the Agency was informed of a private Facebook group page that could only be accessed by a specific group of CBP employees, in which inappropriate and offensive posts were made,” wrote Klein. The memo, dated February 2018 and titled “Social Media Posts,” did not identify a specific Facebook group, but reminded employees of CBP’s standards of conduct, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies for employees of the workplace and off-duty that prohibits certain behaviors for discrimination or harassment.
