Customs and Border Protection failed to meet January 7th deadline to give Congress information on new Trump appointee’s participation in racist, xenophobic Facebook group

WASHINGTON – On Friday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) missed its deadline to provide information to Congress about whether the agency’s new head, Rodney Scott, participated in a sexist and xenophobic Facebook group. Restore Public Trust released the following statement in response:

“The American public deserves to know whether the new head of Customs and Border Protection participated in a Facebook group that mocked and demeaned immigrants,” said Lizzy Price, director of Restore Public Trust. “The agency took part in one of the most shameful episodes in our nation’s history. On the Trump administration’s watch, children taken from their families were abused and sexually assaulted. Some even died. Congress must ensure that government officials are not marginalizing vulnerable communities.”

Participation by border patrol officers in the offensive Facebook group “I’m 10-15” was exposed in bombshell stories by ProPublica and The Intercept. A subsequent internal review conducted at CBP recommended that seven people at the agency be fired and 20 receive disciplinary action for their participation in the group. Three border patrol agents have since been fired.

The deadline was set by Representative Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security in a letter to Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan in late January. Customs and Border Protection’s failure to be transparent follows a recent move by the Trump administration to enhance the agency’s security status, exempting it from releasing certain records to the public.

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