“Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses. I’ve never seen them whip anyone,” said the photographer.
A New Mexico photographer who captured images of Haitian migrants evacuating a U. S migrant camp is addressing the controversy surrounding Border Patrol agents using whips on the immigrants while on horseback. On Friday, Paul Ratje of New Mexico spoke to KTSM and told the outlet that the photos, which were taken on September 19, aren’t what they appear to be. “Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses,” Ratje said. Ratje said that he and his colleagues didn’t witness Border Patrol agents using whips on any of the migrants. “I’ve never seen them whip anyone,” Ratje said. “He was swinging it…but it can be misconstrued when you’re looking at the picture.” Ratje is a photographer based in Las Cruces. He’s been in Del Rio since September 17 and has primarily taken photos on the Mexican side of the U.S. border. After the photos surfaced online, U.S. officials said they plan to launch a full investigation into what has taken place at the border.
