On Election Day 2018, public backlash forced the El Paso Border Patrol to scrap plans for a “crowd control exercise” near a Hispanic neighborhood. Newly released emails show the event essentially was a media stunt that drew heavy criticism within @CBP. 1/ elpasomatters.org/2021/05/26/cir…
“BP plans to make this interesting to excess,” one CBP official warned the week before. “Make sure the media are there. Especially (Mexican) media,” another official wrote. 2/
The Border Patrol planned horses, helicopters and simulated tear gas for the exercise, which was to take place between the Chihuahuita neighborhood and the Paso del Norte Bridge. On Election Day 2018. 3/
The exercise plans came as President Trump was trying to create a frenzy around a migrant caravan ahead of the election. @CBP had conducted similar exercises at international bridges as the election drew near, but not Border Patrol. 4/
A Border Patrol official acknowledged the exercise likely wouldn’t affect any migrants coming to the U.S., “but it sure will rile up the local advocacy groups.” 5/
The emails were made public through a #FOIA lawsuit against @CBP brought by @bobmoorenews. 6/
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2/ Bering Straits Native Corporation’s subsidiary, Global Precision Systems, is the contractor that staffs El Paso Service Processing Center, an ICE facility that recently had the largest COVID-19 outbreak among detainees in the nation.