Our Undocumented Community Under Attack: Misinformation During Election Cycles.
Written in Spanish by Leonina Arismendi for News Latino Today.
As the election cycle continues and we approach one of the most crucial Presidential races in history, many in our community find themselves exhausted — not just by the prospect of new and old horrors, but by the impotence that comes from calling a country home for so long without fully participating in the electoral process, however flawed it might be.
As an Uruguayan, I was raised with the perspective that voting is one of the most important tools for democracy. It’s not the only tool, but it’s a significant one. I have fond memories of the elections my family participated in when I was a child. I may not remember the process itself, but I vividly recall the joy surrounding it — a joy that was deeply felt in a small country that had, just ten years prior, emerged from a brutal dictatorship. Voting in Uruguay is no joke; it’s a cause for celebration. There were barbecues, fireworks, and even small planes flying overhead with colorful banners, dropping candidates’ brochures in bright colors. For a child, it was pure magic.
Here in the United States, it took me some time to grasp the lengths to which prior administrations have historically gone to block the voting rights of women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, poor people, and incarcerated individuals. Recognizing this as a systemic issue, rather than merely a societal attitude of contempt for voting, was eye-opening. Coupled with the out-of-touch and morally bankrupt behavior of politicians on both sides of the aisle, it’s no wonder people feel defeated and detached from the process.
With the rise of social media and internet access, elections have become a different beast. Misinformation is at an all-time high, and politicians exploit it to their advantage, often targeting vulnerable communities through propaganda. Trust in news cycles and viral trends shifts rapidly, leaving much misinformation unchecked as it cycles through our timelines, only to disappear quickly. Yet the damage is done, especially if the goal is to sow seeds of doubt, dissent, and distrust among people.
In recent years, migration has become a frequent talking point in elections, often used without any real consideration for the millions of undocumented people who call this place home. Misinformation about the benefits we receive, the contributions we make, and the reasons we come to this country are rampant, especially in the age of bots, troll accounts, and internet anonymity.
Take, for example, a recent hoax that made its rounds on conservative Twitter, white supremacist Facebook groups, and dubious blog sites masquerading as reputable news sources. Social media was ablaze with claims that a Venezuelan family, presumably undocumented, received over $13,000 in food stamp benefits — a claim that was later debunked by Snopes as a hoax. Despite the fact that undocumented people aren’t eligible for public assistance and cannot access federal or state funds, the misinformation about what new arrivals “receive from the government” continues to thrive.
Last week, as I scrolled through social media, I came across a response video from activist and comedian Che Guerrero. He shared a video of an unnamed Black veteran demanding to know why the current administration is giving tens of thousands of dollars to undocumented people while she struggles to qualify for business loans. Guerrero, who is known for standing up for marginalized groups across the diaspora on and offline, responded with empathy, checking Anti-Blackness at the door, and then gracefully moved from empathy to education. He pleaded for unity, an understanding of the facts, and invited the veteran to reach out to him personally so that his audience might offer her the support she deserves.
Moved by his generosity, I went on an internet dive to find her, but reputable news coverage was lacking. Instead, I found coverage from gossip and alt-news sites, comments, and reposts from conservative talking heads, bots, and racist trolls that followed a very scripted narrative, with suspicious timestamps.
However, based on what’s typical of these blogs and channels, the themes are familiar. They tend to amplify stories that fit a narrative of undocumented immigrants receiving undeserved benefits or being involved in criminal activities. These stories are often misleading, exaggerated, or outright false, and are used to stoke division, particularly among conservative audiences.
Some common threads to watch for in these rage-bait stories include:
- Emphasizing Outrage: The narrative often focuses on unfounded claims about taxpayer money supposedly being misused to benefit undocumented immigrants, playing into economic anxieties. Like the food stamp hoax, there are reasons to question the veracity of the veteran’s story, which claims that an undocumented buyer showed her a letter from the federal government promising money for a truck — something that is simply untrue. Undocumented people cannot access federal or state funds, grants, or bank loans.
- Playing on Fears of Crime: Stories such as The Venezuelan migrant story (in which it was reported that new arrivals to NYC were assaulting people on the streets a few months back) taps into fears of crime and violence, reinforcing stereotypes about immigrants being dangerous.
- Polarizing Content:These stories are widely shared among networks that thrive on controversy and sensationalism, often lacking proper context or fact-checking. Following the reposts and likes gives a clearer picture of who is engaging with the content and why. The internet is full of people operating in bad faith for personal or political gain.
The overarching goal of these stories appears to be to sow fear and influence public opinion in a way that benefits conservative political goals, particularly around election times. Whether this is fake news or a case of miscommunication between the buyer and seller, the damage is done. The viral clip is being used by conservative media to further demonize undocumented people and cause division and distrust. Yet, these attempts often come to light, and for what it’s worth, we are more united and informed than in past elections.
I remain radically hopeful. I commend Che Guerrero’s outreach and hope that the veteran reaches out to him, that she receives the support she deserves, and that we continue breaking down the silos that Dr. King warned us about. His work has given us a blueprint for liberation: fusion movements, non-violent direct action, mutual aid, and community building will ultimately see us free from fear, regardless of who is in office. Until that day, critically engaging with and consuming content and media by researching stories and their source materials is more important — and more accessible — than ever in the fight against misinformation.
When asked about his approach to facilitating discourse surrounding charged topics like this one on Social Media, Che remarked that we must
“Fight fire with water, bring kindness into the matter.”
You can follow Che Guerrero @myundocumentedass
Book recommendation: An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz.
Leonina Arismendi is an award winning artist and writer and a human and environmental rights advocate living and working on the East Coast of the US.
