An internal memo instructs CBP agents not to assume an illegal immigrants gender identity.
The Biden administration has instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents not to use “he, him, she, her” pronouns when dealing with the public, according to an internal memo.
“We just obtained [CBP] documents directing personnel to only use woke language when encountering individuals invading the United States,” the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) guidance asks CBP staff to use “gender-neutral language” and the “self-identified pronouns and name” of any members of the public they interact with.
“DO NOT use ‘he, him, she, her’ pronouns until you have more information about, or provided by, the individual,” the memo states. It also cautions against using salutations such as “Mr., Mrs. Ms., Sir, Ma’am.”
The memo notes that it is generally talking about “individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, non-binary, and gender nonconforming.”
“This guidance should be used by all CBP employees who encounter members of the public in the course of their job duties, including but not limited to law enforcement, trade, human resources, public liaisons, and others,” the memo states.
The memo goes on to make the point that some LGBT individuals may “define these terms differently.”
“Keep in mind that gender identity (sense of self) and sexual orientation (attraction) are separate and distinct; hence, transgender people, for example, may identify as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual,” the memo also states under a section telling CBP staff what they should “do.”
Amid a historic illegal immigration crisis at the southern U.S. border, the memo has been called an “unnecessary distraction” by a union leader.
“We can’t be worrying about whether we’re going to hurt somebody’s feelings,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told Just the News on Tuesday.
Mr. Judd rejected the idea that CBP agents, swamped by thousands of illegal border crossers, now “have to be cognizant of their civil rights.” He charged that the issue is not one of civil rights, but “simply a matter of preference.”
