An unofficial commemorative coin has been circulating among Border Patrol agents at the U.S./Mexico border and it appears to be mocking the task of caring for migrant children and families.
The coin is part of a tradition of “challenge coins” which are common in the military and law enforcement as a way for members to celebrate achievements and build camaraderie.
However, on the front of these coins, it reads, “KEEP THE CARAVANS COMING” under an image of a massive parade of people carrying a Honduran flag and the flip side features the Border Patrol logo and three illustrations: a Border Patrol agent bottle-feeding an infant; an agent fingerprinting a teen boy wearing a backwards baseball cap; and a U.S. Border Patrol van. The text along the edge reads “FEEDING ** PROCESSING ** HOSPITAL ** TRANSPORT.”
The coin appears to poke fun at the fact that many border agents are no longer out patrolling and instead are now caring for and processing migrants, including families and children.
Customs and Border Protection officials said they did not know about the coin but said they would investigate it for potential trademark violation since the coin includes the Border Patrol’s logo. They also stressed that the coins are not approved by any government agency nor were they funded by one.
Source: ProPublica