Deportation

Does a real English-language France 24 video factually describe a Ukrainian bill about construction of a monument aimed at commemorating national heroes? No, that's not true: The head of France 24 English told Lead Stories that the French broadcaster never produced such a video. Contrary to the fake video on social media, the actual Ukrainian monument legislation is not centered…

Was Iran soccer player Mohammed Mohebi deported from the U.S. following the June 15, 2026, FIFA World Cup game against New Zealand? No, that's not true: When contacted by Lead Stories, the Department of Homeland Security denied the online speculation. Lead Stories found no credible media reports that Mohebi had been deported. The claim appeared in a post (archived here…

Did Lucas Morel discover a World War II era resistance printing operation in a secret room hidden in his basement in Lyon, France? No, that's not true: This fictional clickbait story set in Lyon, France originated on YouTube and is illustrated with AI-generated images. Lyon is known as the "Capital of the Resistance" in France, but other details of this…

Does a video show the arrest of a woman who reportedly called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on men fixing her roof? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the woman's arrest at the beginning of the clip is connected to the detention of the men by ICE later in the video. An ICE spokesperson told Lead Stories…

Does a video show plainclothes ICE agents arresting a woman at a gate at San Francisco International Airport on March 22, 2026? Yes, that's true: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Lead Stories that two women-- not one --were arrested. The spokesperson said the women attempted to flee and resisted officers. The claim appeared in a video (archived here)…

Is a video showing a Politico report claiming Germany is preparing to take in 400,000 Palestinian refugees real? No, that's not true: There are no reports from Politico or any other news organization that Germany plans to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees, Palestinian or otherwise. In addition, an online AI detection tool determined that the audio in the…

Did California pay the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) more than $100 million mainly to fund protests as a viral social media post said? No, that's not true: California's payments to CHIRLA were overwhelmingly tied to immigration legal services and social welfare programs. There is no evidence in state budget records that any funds were used to pay or…

Was the little boy who Bad Bunny handed his Grammy trophy to during the Super Bowl halftime show Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old Columbia Heights, Minn., boy detained by ICE in January 2026? No, that's not true: The boy is actor Lincoln Fox. A spokesperson for the child's school told Lead Stories that "Liam and his family are sequestered during this…

Did Millie Bobby Brown say that being deported is not the end of the world, and that "there's a literal genocide in Gaza"? No, that's not true: The fake quote attributed to Brown originated from an account that frequently posts fake quotes attributed to celebrities. The account does not have any satire or parody disclaimer, but their content output provides…

Did Proud Boys founder Enrique Tarrio say he works for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement? No, that's not true. Tarrio sarcastically replied to a tweet claiming his name appeared on a leaked list of ICE employees, but later clarified that he does not work for the agency. The claim originated from a January 13, 2026, post by Tarrio on his…