by RYAN LEDENDECKER
In a heated exchange a few days ago with Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that migrants are not simply walking over the southern U.S. border.
Even though KJP is one of the dumbest and least effective press secretaries in American history, she was partially accurate in her assertion, to her credit. As it turns out, under President Joe Biden’s watch, migrants are also swimming over the border and, unfortunately, dying en masse as a result.
That was evidenced in a heartwrenching update from Fox News’ Bill Melugin, who, along with journalist Ali Bradley, reported that a group of 53 migrants attempting to cross the Rio Grande into the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas, were swept away by rising and dangerous waters on Thursday.
As of Saturday, Bradley confirmed that the lifeless bodies of nine migrants had been recovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, with another seven still missing. Thirty-seven migrants who were swept downriver by the fast-moving current have been rescued.
#BREAKING @CBP confirms to me that the bodies of 9 migrants have now been recovered— Search efforts continue to find the remaining 7 people after 53 attempted to cross the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass. 37 migrants were rescued according to the agency.
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 3, 2022
Melugin added to the report, saying CBP confirmed the latest numbers to Fox News. He also described the horrific situation as the “deadliest mass drowning incident in the Rio Grande in recent memory.”
UPDATE: CBP confirms the bodies of 9 migrants have now been found. 7 more still unaccounted for. This is the deadliest mass drowning incident in the Rio Grande in recent memory. https://t.co/IasOeIsrZ6
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 3, 2022
Melugin, in July, posted video footage of what appears to be hundreds, at least, of migrants making the dangerous trek through the Rio Grande. The video went viral, racking up over 4 million views.
BREAKING: One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees it’s hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZjZIygarAv
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 13, 2022
Many on social media were quick to point out that the situation, which is beyond tragic, doesn’t seem to be getting the attention that it should from a bulk of the mainstream media. Others correctly pointed to Biden’s absolute disastrous border policies as the primary cause of such atrocities.
The New York Times, shockingly — and to its credit — covered the tragedy, noting that this isn’t the first time migrants have run into dangerous and deadly currents on the Rio Grande while trying to reach U.S. soil.
The Times wrote:About two months ago, he said, 12 bodies were recovered on the same day — six by the Mexican authorities and six by U.S. rescue officials — after another large group tried to cross into the United States.
More recently, two boys, one 3 years old and the other 3 months old, slipped from the grasp of an uncle as they were attempting to cross, he said. The older boy drowned, and the infant was rushed to a San Antonio hospital in critical condition.Not surprisingly, the Times failed to mention the Biden administration’s seemingly complete lack of interest in doing anything — anything at all — to stop the free flow of migrants who pour across the southern U.S. border in record numbers daily. There’s no quick fix here, but if the White House would reverse course on some of its early, foolish decisions to erase former President Donald Trump’s highly effective immigration policies, there would be an honest chance to mitigate these events.