The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) fired four employees and suspended dozens of others as part of an investigation into their involvement in Facebook groups filled with racist and sexist content.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Friday that the agency investigated 138 cases linked to Facebook groups exposed more than a year ago by ProPublica.
“Of these, the agency found that 63 allegations were unsubstantiated, 4 employees were removed from service, 38 employees were suspended without pay, and the rest were disciplined with warnings or advice,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Los Angeles Times first reported on the layoffs; six cases remained open until Wednesday.
CBP announced last year that 70 current or former employees were under internal investigation for positions in the groups that included derogatory comments toward immigrants and lawmakers.
Most were involved in a group called “I have 10-15,” a reference to the code for “foreigners in custody.”
In that group, which had more than 9,000 members, current and former employees joked about the dead migrants and the edited image of a smiling President Trump Rep. Forcing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (DN.Y.) head towards your crotch.
In response to a post about a 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant who died last May at a Border Patrol station, one member wrote, “If he dies, he dies,” while another posted a GIF of Elmo saying, “Oh , good. “
Members of the group included former Border Patrol chief Carla Provost, although she was not linked to any offensive material.
CBP officials declined to say whether Provost or other top officials were involved in the investigation.
The news of the investigation is wrapping up when CBP is under new scrutiny for actions in Portland, Oregon, after its officers, many of whom were unidentified and were driving unmarked vehicles, carried out a series of arrests in the town on Thursday night.
.
