U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Border Agents Feel They Are Under ‘Gag Order' From Biden Administration

Restrictions on what border agents can share with the media were passed down verbally, say officials. Some have released videos of the border surge anyway

In this Feb. 26, 2013, file photo, a U.S. Border Patrol agent looks along a section of the recently-constructed fence at the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona.
John Moore/Getty Images

The Biden administration is restricting the information Border Patrol agents and sector chiefs can share with the media as a surge of migrants tests the agency's capacity at the southern border, two current and two former Customs and Border Protection officials told NBC News.

The officials say the restrictions are seen as an unofficial "gag order" and are often referred to that way among colleagues. The officials requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media about the topic.

Border Patrol officials have been told to deny all media requests for "ride-alongs" with agents along the southern border; local press officers are instructed to send all information queries, even from local media, to the press office in Washington for approval; and those responsible for cultivating data about the number of migrants in custody have been reminded not to share the information with anyone to prevent leaks, the officials said.

Multiple news organizations, including NBC News, have requested access to or photos from inside overcrowded border processing facilities holding unaccompanied migrant children; they have been denied.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

Contact Us