Immigration

Does a crisp in-focus photograph help identify the two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who were on the scene of a shooting in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13, 2026? No, that's not true: According to the content detection tool at Hive Moderation this image was AI-generated. Only some elements of the image align with details at the scene in the…

Have you seen the viral videos showing mass protests in the streets of British cities? Lead Stories has spotted several such videos recently and found that many were created using artificial intelligence. These videos do not show real people or situations. Instead, they seek to exploit feelings of sympathy and patriotism by triggering emotions such as indignation and anger among…

Does a video show Swedish World Cup footballer Lucas Bergvall saying, "Please stop voting for mass migration"? No, that's not true: The quote attributed to him on social media does not match what Bergvall said in a video interview, nor was it from the World Cup in June 2026. When translated into English, Bergvall's words concerned a then-upcoming match against…

Did U.K.'s Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly threaten to arrest X owner Elon Musk along with other "336 million Americans"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories reviewed Starmer's public comments about Musk and did not find anything remotely close to what social media attributed to the prime minister. The claim about hundreds of millions to be arrested is implausible on…

Does a video show masked, armed members of the anti-immigrant "New Republican Movement" responding to a Belfast, Northern Ireland, knife attack in early June 2026? No, that's not true: The footage is from that group, but the video is from December 2025, six months earlier than the incident. In the clip, a statement is read that threatens local politicians over…

Does a viral video of fires capture the aftermath of the June 9, 2026, anti-immigration protests in Belfast, Northern Ireland? No, that's not true: The recording showed explosions that same day on a gas pipeline in Russia's Dagestan. The original sound did not include any chants -- that was later digitally added to the version of the video that went…

Did Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit publish an open letter calling on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign amid growing controversy surrounding U.S. immigration policies? No, that's not true: The claim appeared in social media posts and news articles just a day before the start of the World Cup. Gullit posted a denial on his X account, saying he wanted…

Was President Donald Trump unable to attend the wedding of his son, Donald Trump Jr., in The Bahamas on May 23, 2026, because the country would not allow him entry under its immigration laws? No, that's not true: There is no evidence The Bahamas barred Trump from entering, and its immigration law does not explicitly prohibit entry for those found…

Is a viral image of a banner about Jimmy Savile a real photo from the May 16, 2026, anti-immigration rally in London? No, that's not true: Lead Stories didn't find credible news organizations that published the image as part of their rally coverage. Three online AI detectors said the picture was likely generated by AI. The claim appeared in a…

Does the viral image of crowds actually show the anti-immigration rally in London on May 16, 2026? No, that's not true: The picture had been online since at least February of 2026. AI detection tools identified the image as edited or generated using AI. The claim appeared in a post (archived here and here) published on X on May 16,…