Amnesty International USA Responds to Reports of Cruel, Deadly Tactics by Texas Troops at the Border

In response to reports about Texas DPS troops receiving instructions to push children into the Rio Grande and deny water to asylum seekers, Amy Fischer, Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA said:

“Amnesty International USA would like to remind Governor Abbott that seeking asylum is a human right, and these attempts to block people seeking safety from exercising that right by embracing cruel, deadly tactics is utterly shameful. Border barriers and fencing only serve to push people to take more dangerous routes to seek safety. That reality coupled with instructions for frontline officers to push children and babies into the river and deny water to people seeking safety even during extreme heat is absolutely appalling. The United States has both a legal and moral obligation to ensure that people arriving at borders are treated humanely and provided access to seek asylum. It is imperative for Governor Abbott to immediately rectify this policy, and remove any buoys, barbed wire, or other barriers from the border and ensure that any officer at the border is instructed to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of all migrants and asylum seekers they may encounter. We also call upon the Biden Administration to immediately end the asylum ban to ensure that all asylum seekers may access asylum at the border."