The news media has been given “zero access” at the US-Mexico border under President Biden, according to a Getty Images photographer on the ground at the intersection.
Journalists have come to the border in recent weeks to report on the crisis, as tens of thousands of Central American migrants – including unaccompanied children – attempted the perilous journey.
But according to lensman John Moore, they have faced restrictive conditions, with US authorities hampering their ability to tell the story.
“I respectfully ask US Customs and Border Guards to stop blocking media access to their border operations,” Moore tweeted on Friday“I photographed CBP under Bush, Obama and Trump, but now the media is denied access.”
In the thread, Moore added dramatic shots of the crossing – which, unable to work in the US, he had taken with a telephoto lens from the Mexican side of the border.
“Until now, American photojournalists didn’t have to be in another country to photograph what’s going on – in the United States,” He wrote
Moore said he and other journalists are led away of the crossing by Border Patrol agents recently.
“There is no modern precedent for a complete physical ban on media access to CBP border operations,” He wrote“To those who might say give them some slack – they are dealing with a situation, I would say showing the US response to the current immigrant surge is exactly the role of the media.
“Photographing border guards and encounters with immigrants can and is done with respect without disrupting operations,” he continued
Moore also rejected the idea that such restrictions could be justified under the coronavirus regulations.
“And pandemic restrictions are not a valid excuse to block physical media access, especially for outdoor operations,” He wrote“There are easy alternative options for media rides.
“Showing the difficult and important work of @cbp agents in the field, while photographing immigrants in a dignified manner, are not mutually exclusive,” he added“Transparency is key, even in a politicized environment.”
Officials from the Biden administration have repeatedly promised the media access to the conditions at the border – including indoor facilities where detained children are being held – but have yet to set a hard date when assessments can begin.
On Sunday morning, Chris Wallace, host of Fox News, struggled with US Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the matter, wondering why reporters couldn’t accompany Mayorkas on his own border visit last week.
Mayorkas fell back to the pandemic to explain the lack of access and promised to provide images of the circumstances.
The Post witnessed the restrictions on a recent trip to the border.
During a drive with the Texas’ Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office last week, a Post reporter saw Border Patrol agents investigating a house believed to be used as a warehouse for stolen cars and smuggled migrants.
The agents explicitly told The Post not to photograph them.
Later, deputies from the Hidalgo County Police Department similarly warned against taking pictures or videos of border security personnel.
“It’s just orders they have, because I don’t think they want to admit there is a crisis going on,” speculated a deputy sheriff, noting that the camera-shy directive was handed over to Border Patrol last month, when the photography really ”was seen as a problem in the past.
“They don’t want anything to leak out,” the deputy continued. “But it already is.”