The Biden administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued instructions to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents, urging them to inquire about the “preferred pronouns” of immigrants they encounter and to utilize gender-neutral language during their duties.
In a document titled “Guide to Facilitating Effective Communication with Individuals who Identify as LGBTQI+,” obtained by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, CBP agents are advised on how to engage with members of the public, particularly those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming.
The guidance directs agents to refrain from using gender-specific pronouns like “he, him,” or “she, her” until more information is gathered from or provided by the individual. Additionally, terms such as “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “sir,” or “ma’am” are discouraged.
The document emphasizes the distinction between gender identity and sexual orientation and acknowledges the varied definitions that individuals within the LGBTQI+ community might assign to these terms.
Amid an ongoing crisis at the southern border, where approximately 1.7 million illegal immigrant gotaways have entered the United States since President Joe Biden took office, this guidance has elicited criticism from Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Green asserts that instead of tools and resources to address the border crisis, agents are receiving guidance on gender language, which he considers a mockery to those striving to secure the borders.
Green expressed concerns about reports of criminal illegal aliens being released into the country and the record number of individuals on the terrorist watchlist being apprehended, attributing these issues in part to the overwhelming crisis at the border.
This guidance surfaces shortly after The Daily Wire revealed that the DHS’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties had commissioned a report from the RAND Corporation, proposing changes in language usage. The report recommended altering terms like “male” and “female,” suggesting the inclusion of “nonbinary,” “cisgender,” and “transgender.” Moreover, it proposed substituting terms such as “illegal immigrant” with “undocumented noncitizen” and rephrasing phrases like “unlawful entry.”
Green criticized the RAND Corporation’s report, labeling it a deceptive and Orwellian strategy to conceal Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ perceived failure of leadership. He accused Mayorkas of implementing an open-borders agenda and using taxpayer funds to manipulate language in an attempt to obscure the consequences of such policies.
Green hinted at Congress’s potential use of its funding power to exert pressure on the agency, emphasizing the need for a shift towards more effective border enforcement strategies.
