Carla Provost, the chief of the United States Border Patrol, was one of a number of Border Patrol personnel to participate in a Facebook group in which members joked about migrant deaths and made other offensive comments about immigrants and asylum-seekers.

..Soon after ProPublica’s story published, Provost denounced the offensive posts and pledged to hold the participating agents responsible. “These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see—and expect—from our agents day in and day out,” she said in a statement. “Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable.” 

….Only one post from Provost has come to light so far, from November 2018, and it doesn’t appear offensive on its own. (A group member commented about Provost’s ascent to the top of the agency, and she chimed in to the resulting conversation to clarify the timeline.) But it indicates she was aware the group existed and participated without apparent concern months before she condemned it to the press.

…Politico then reported that officials with Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol, had known of the group and the offensive posts for up to three years before news of its existence broke. ….Officials told Politico that they did not know if any of the group’s members are actually being punished. A Department of Homeland Security official also said that CBP’s public affairs office had monitored the group “as a source of intelligence” to see “what people are talking about,” but CBP’s press office disputed that. CBP did not, however, deny that Provost and other senior Border Patrol agents had participated in the group.

…The group has declined in size—from 9,500 to 4,000—since the reporting made it known. A second group, “The Real CBP Nation,” was reported by CNN last week and appears to also involve CBP employees and similarly offensive content.

Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost posted in offensive “I’m 10-15” Facebook group.

mmhmmm