Immigrants

Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threaten to deport 2 million American immigrants if President-elect Donald Trump sends migrants back to Mexico? No, that's not true: Lead Stories could not find any news reports or press releases from the Mexican government mentioning such a statement. In November of 2024 Sheinbaum posted to X that Mexico's position on the issue of migration…

Did a Navy SEAL team based in California start "hunting MS-13 members in the greater Los Angeles area" and have they already "eliminated" 50 members of MS-13? No, that's not true: The U.S. Navy told Lead Stories that there was "no truth" to this claim. Neither the latest Navy press releases nor a Google News search contained any evidence these…

Was a man in the U.K. sentenced to 20 months in jail for a Facebook post "that opposes mass immigration"? No, that's not true: Posts on social media saying that omitted that the man was convicted for inciting violence at the time of anti-immigrant riots sweeping the country. He was convicted of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour…

Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez admit that undocumented immigrants vote in U.S. elections? No, that's not true: She actually said families of undocumented people vote, not the undocumented themselves. Her full quote in context comes from her own official TikTok page. The claim appeared in a post and video on X (archived here) on November 11, 2024. It said: AOC admits…

Does a video show "illegal Haitians" saying they're voting for Kamala Harris in Georgia in Fulton and Gwinnett counties with driver's licenses they got after becoming citizens with just six months in the United States? No, that's not true: Names on the licenses flashed in the video were not found in the Georgia database of registered voters. The Georgia Secretary…

Does a proposed New York state constitutional amendment "grant" voting rights "to illegal aliens" and "strip parental rights" by not informing parents without the child's approval about their decision to get gender transition surgery? No, that's not true: There is no mention anywhere in the proposed amendment of giving undocumented immigrants voting rights. The proposed amendment bans discrimination against gender…

Did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lift a ban on illegal immigrants in the state because he needs them to clean up after hurricanes Milton and Helene? No, that's not true: There are no official statements or press releases from DeSantis indicating any changes to SB-1718, which is known as Florida's anti-illegal immigration law. No actual news reports say that DeSantis…

Does a viral post on social media prove that the total size of undocumented populations in seven states has increased by triple-digit percentages between 2021 and 2024? No, that's not true: The chart shared online didn't reflect the correct updated totals and one column referred to court filings in immigration courts, not total populations. Court filing numbers do not represent…

Did Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson say that noncitizens would be allowed to vote in the 2024 elections? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that Nelson opened voting to non-U.S. citizens. In an October 2024 election advisory, the Secretary of State's Office clarified that naturalized citizens already on the voting rolls could use a limited-term driver's license or…

Does a video show a Haitian man in Springfield, Ohio, cutting up an animal or a pet with a machete in public? No, that's not true: Police said the person who shot the video told them the man was cutting up "a big ass ham." The Springfield Police Division said there is no evidence to support the claim that "a…