#ICEBae: A Latina Border Patrol Officer is Trending and People Aren’t Happy

Anyone logging into Twitter today would’ve seen #ICEBae trending and found the image of Customs and Border Patrol agent Kiara Cervantes working security during Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to the border

#icebae kiara cervantes — Photo: Twitter/@kiarace24

July 16, 2019 - 11:54

Anyone logging into Twitter today would’ve seen #ICEBae trending and found the image of Customs and Border Patrol agent Kiara Cervantes working security during Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to the border. The trending hashtag continues to gain momentum on Twitter and Cervantes even created an account as a response to her sudden virality. CBP agent Cervantes currently has over 37,000 followers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz9on99BiOc/

Latinx Instagram account @xicanisma_ captioned their post about the #ICEBae trending saying, “I log on Twitter and see “ICEBAE” is trending… ?like… is this the reality we’re living in? Racists (also many MoC, per usual) literally thirsting over this [woman].”

The CBP agent, dubbed #ICEBae on social media, took to Twitter to confirm that she is, in fact, the woman in the viral selfie. “It’s me, I’m a customs officer based in Texas, and yeah, I don’t know what else to say,” she says in a video posted to Twitter.

“It’s crazy… but here I am,” she wrote in a tweet. “I’m hearing something about a viral picture. I would like to say I was just doing my job… providing security for the visit of @VP. It was an honor and I take a lot of pride in my job!”

https://twitter.com/kiarace24/status/1150817142817861633

She also responded to a couple of tweets criticizing her and the selfie she took.

For example, she replied to the former Daily Caller editor and columnist Scott Grier, saying, “Thank you for seeing how difficult my job can be… not only because I am Latina but just, in general, the mass amount of people crossing ILLEGALLY daily and the processing can take a toll on anyone of any gender and any race.”

Several media publications have reached out to her for comment but she responded that she wouldn’t talk to the press without first speaking with her employer.

https://twitter.com/KBTM30/status/1150873865771474955

https://twitter.com/awkward_duck/status/1150914505880363009

Families are trapped in literal concentration camps and there are mountains of video/photo/written evidence of this, and the one thing y'all took from it was that a fucking ICE guard was attractive.

Ffs, we really ain't shit #IceBae pic.twitter.com/pIY5z7CXy6

— Mr Morale and the Massive Steppers (@noaghwhy) July 16, 2019

I’m never the type to be all serious on twitter(🤢) BUT…. #IceBae ? Seriously? We’re witnessing the rise of a modern day Nazi Germany & this is the crap you decide to tweet about? I’m sad for U.S. pic.twitter.com/uOoe7vGhn8

— woah (@DeLaBreezus) July 15, 2019

In one of her latest tweets, Cervantes wrote, “WOW I am in awe. Thank you all for the support! My job is so hectic at this moment but I am grateful. I love protecting my country! And I love my supporters!”