In early February—which marked the 100th anniversary of Black History Month—stories describing U.S. Border Patrol’s role in enforcing desegregation and the historical contributions of select Black people and women within the agency were removed from Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) website.

This move mirrors a long series of attempts by the Trump administration to whitewash American history over the past year. The Department of Defense and Arlington Cemetery deleted thousands of references to notable Black, Latine, and female figures. The Smithsonian Institution remains under pressure to wipe their museums of “improper ideology.” The targeted purges extend beyond gender and race to erase LGBTQ+ history, Indigenous people, and references to climate change from national parks.

Some of the erasures have since been reversed following public outcry or judicial orders. Last year, the National Park Service restored a reference to Harriet Tubman to a web page; on February 17, a federal judge determined that an exhibit about people enslaved by George Washington at his former home in Philadelphia should be put back.

The historical accounts now missing from CBP’s website are lesser known. The stories were listed on a page titled “Did you know?” which details “interesting facts from CBP history.”

An analysis of the removed pages compared to archived versions shows the stories were removed sometime between February 2 and February 9. All of the removed stories were first published in March 2014. They appear to have remained untouched through the first Trump administration. The current standing version of the page claims it was last modified on January 2.

One memory-holed story described President John F. Kennedy’s deployment of Border Patrol agents to Mississippi in 1962 to protect James Meredith as he registered as the University of Mississippi’s first Black student.

James Meredith is flanked by U.S. Marshal James McShane, left, and John Doar of the Justice Department, as he prepares to attend first class at the University of Mississippi on October 1, 1962. Photo: Marion S. Trikosko. Source: Library of Congress.

In September 1962, following two rejections by the university based on his race and a year-long legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the university to admit Meredith. Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett, a staunch segregationist, denied Meredith’s entry to Ole Miss, however Meredith and President Kennedy were undeterred.

Hundreds of white people, armed with firearms, Molotov cocktails, and other blunt instruments and projectiles tried to violently block Meredith from registering on campus. To protect Meredith and force the governor’s hand, President Kennedy deployed 127 U.S. Marshals and over 300 Border Patrol agents. In the face of an armed mob, Kennedy was adamant that federal agents not return fire to avoid bloodshed. Meredith was ultimately able to register, but the riot left two civilians dead—including journalist Paul Guihard—and over two dozen federal agents wounded by gunfire.

Matthew Alexander Henson in 1910. Source: Library of Congress.

The story of Black explorer Matthew Henson, debatably the first person to reach the North Pole, also appears to have been removed from the CBP “Did you know?” page.

After more than a decade of expeditions with fellow explorer Robert E. Peary, the two embarked on a mission to reach the North Pole on July 6, 1908 with 23 others. By the time they neared their destination in April, the team had dwindled to Peary, Henson and four Inuit men.

On April 6, 1909 Henson arrived at the point he believed to be the North Pole. Reportedly, 45 minutes later, Peary caught up with Henson.

“I think I’m the first man to sit on top of the world,” Henson reportedly said.

Peary confirmed that, by his calculations, they had reached the North Pole. According to the story, Peary was “hopping mad” that he was not first.

Upon their return, Henson wrote a book about his travels, but it was Peary—who was white—who claimed sole title as the first man to reach the North Pole.

Henson worked as a handyman until his story came to the attention of President William H. Taft. On February 26, 1913, President Taft appointed Henson to a position in the U.S. Custom House in New York City, where he worked as clerk until he retired in 1936. After his death, President Ronald Reagan granted an exception to allow for the bodies of Henson and his wife to be reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Robert Smalls. Photo: Mathew Brady. Source: Library of Congress.

Not all references to Black men have been erased from the page. The story of Robert Smalls, a skilled ship pilot who commandeered a Confederate gunship in 1862, still remains on CBP’s site.

Smalls and the crew, all enslaved people, took the ship when the three white officers defied standing orders and went ashore. They guided the ship out of the harbor, picked up their families, and surrendered the ship to the Union. Smalls was hailed a hero in the North and freed a total of 16 people that night.

Smalls later went on to purchase his former master’s home after it was put up for sale for unpaid taxes. Following the war, he launched a political career, ultimately serving as a five-term U.S. Congressman from South Carolina. After leaving Congress, he was appointed Collector of Customs by President Benjamin Harrison.

Anna C.M. Tillinghast taking the oath of office in 1931. Source: Library of Congress.

Not all of the stories that were removed involved Black people. The story of Anna C.M. Tillinghast, the first woman appointed to the position of District Commissioner of Immigration, is now gone.

Tillinghast was a prohibitionist, suffragist, political activist, and ordained minister. In 1912 she organized the Massachusetts Federation of Progressive Women in Boston and served as President. She was a successful public speaker, known to deliver lectures advocating for the minimum wage, the eight hour work day, and equal rights to vote.

She was appointed District Commissioner of Immigration for the port of Boston by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. During her time in the role, Tillinghast was involved in the deportation proceedings against infamous Italian swindler Charles Ponzi.

The fourth page now missing described Border Patrol’s role in addressing the trafficking of women and children for prostitution.

According to data about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collected by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, approximately 5% of Border Patrol agents are women. Seven percent are Black.

When asked why the pages were removed, a CBP spokesperson told Unraveled they are “looking into” the matter.

From Unraveled via This RSS Feed.