Harris says images of Border Patrol on horseback evoked ‘times of slavery’

Vice President Harris on Friday further condemned the actions of Border Patrol agents on horseback who appeared to use reins to threaten Haitian migrants, comparing the incident to “times of slavery.”

Harris made her comments during an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” describing how the imagery, which circulated widely on social media, reminded her of tactics “used against the Indigenous people of our country” and “used against African Americans during times of slavery.”

“Human beings should not be treated that way,” Harris added, referring to photos and videos of Border Patrol agents chasing and grabbing migrants.

Earlier this week, Harris said that she was “deeply troubled” by the way the Haitian migrants were treated.

“I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into what is going on there. But human beings should never be treated that way, and I’m deeply troubled about it,” she said at the time.

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced a probe into Customs and Border Protection agents’ treatment of Haitian migrants following outrage over the videos and photos.

Amid backlash over the images at the border, the Biden administration also announced Thursday that it had temporarily suspended the use of horse patrols in Del Rio, Texas.

During her Friday interview, which was briefly delayed due to two hosts of the show testing positive for COVID-19, Harris also encouraged Americans to get vaccinated against the virus.

“The vaccine is free, it is safe and it will save your life,” Harris said. “Folks just need to get vaccinated.”

Joy Behar announced live on the air Friday morning that Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro tested positive for the virus. Both had already been fully vaccinated.