Immigration And U.S.

Is the United States "the only country" with birthright citizenship? No, that's not true: Dozens of countries, most of which are in the Western Hemisphere, have similar laws regarding birthright citizenship, according to the CIA World Factbook. The statement was made in a December 2024 interview with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, but he has said the same thing as far…

Did Canada ban President-elect Donald Trump from entering the country as of November 2024 because of his felony conviction? No, that's not true: A person is only declared inadmissible when they try to cross into the country, and no credible source reported that Trump tried to enter Canada before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited him in Florida. Contrary to…

Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum say that migrant caravans will no longer reach the U.S. border from her country in response to President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs? No, that's not true: Sheinbaum actually said migrant caravans "no longer arrive at the border" because of her country's "comprehensive policy to assist migrants." The other reason is a U.S. program set…

Did an authentic video show Rachel Maddow crying on air in November 2024 over an Elon Musk meme concerning ownership of MSNBC? No, that's not true: The clip was taken from a June 20, 2018 MSNBC broadcast. Maddow had become emotional while reading a report about babies and young children sent to immigration shelters in South Texas. The claim appeared…

Would President-elect Donald Trump's immigration plan have denied his son Barron citizenship in the United States? No, that's not true: Barron Trump's father is a U.S. citizen. While his mother Melania Trump was not yet a naturalized citizen when Barron was born in 2006 in New York City, she was a legal resident at the time. Thus under Trump's stated…

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 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…

Did Kamala Harris let 500,000 criminals, including 15,000 rapists and 13,000 murderers, into the United States and they are now "roaming the country"? No, that's not true: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Lead Stories that the "data goes back decades" and is being "misinterpreted." Most of these individuals did not arrive during the Biden-Harris administration, according to Immigration…

Does a viral video capture "Bosnian neighbors" roasting a dog in their backyard in the U.S.? No, that's not true: A Cornell University professor of veterinary medicine told Lead Stories that what is seen in the years-old footage does not show dog or even carnivore anatomy, speculating it could be a lamb or a goat. The video recycled an old…