Award-winning photojournalist John Moore blasted the Biden administration for giving “zero access” to the media to observe Customs and Border Protection operations at the southern border.
Moore took to Twitter to lament the lack of transparency as a surge of migrants trying to enter the country has put a strain on resources, Fox News reported.
“I respectfully ask US Customs and Border Protection to stop blocking media access to their border operations,” Moore tweeted Friday. “I have photographed CBP under Bush, Obama and Trump but now – zero access is granted to media. These long lens images taken from the Mexican side.”
There’s no modern precedent for a full physical ban on media access to CBP border operations. To those who might say, cut them some slack – they are dealing with a situation, I’d say that showing the US response to the current immigrant surge is exactly the media’s role.
— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) March 19, 2021
Moore, an award winning Getty Images correspondent, lamented the loss of access on the border under Biden.
“There’s no modern precedent for a full physical ban on media access to CBP border operations,” Moore wrote on Twitter. “To those who might say, cut them some slack — they are dealing with a situation, I’d say that showing the US response to the current immigrant surge is exactly the media’s role.
“The vast majority of river crossings by asylum seekers happen on federal land in south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The federal [government] controls access to those areas. The Border Patrol has been removing journalists who enter, including recently myself, CBS, others,” he continued.
The vast majority of river crossings by asylum seekers happen on federal land in south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The federal govt. controls access to those areas. The Border Patrol has been removing journalists who enter, including recently myself, CBS, others. @cbsmireya
— John Moore (@jbmoorephoto) March 20, 2021
Last week, the Biden administration reportedly placed an unofficial “gag order” on Border Patrol agents and sector chiefs as a surge of migrants swarm the southern border, turning what had been categorized as a crisis into a catastrophe, Law Officer reported.
Four current and two former Customs and Border Protection officials said to NBC News that they have been told to deny requests for media “ride-alongs” with agents, and press officers have been told to send any requests for information to the press office in Washington for approval.
Moreover, CBP officials told the Washington Examiner that Biden Homeland Security officials had “muzzled” spokespersons and top agents to prevent them from speaking with the press.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has repeatedly been questioned about media access to Border Patrol facilities. She was asked earlier in March about reports that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents were “frustrated” they couldn’t answer questions about what’s happening at these facilities or bring reporters inside, Fox reported.
Her responses have been a series of deflections.
Psaki said Biden had no plans to travel to the border because he received a briefing on the situation from White House officials who had recently traveled there.
