“Some of the false information posted online about environmental conditions appeared to influence survey respondents’ decision-making about their own migration attempts,” states the report, which includes interviews with migrants. Posts on Facebook and WhatsApp, which are included in the report, claim that border authorities are letting pregnant women into the US, display favorable conditions for border crossings by misrepresenting the state of rivers where migrants will have to pass and offer fake documents. Migrants from multiple countries overwhelm US-Mexico border, adding to Biden administration's challenges
Border Patrol after crossing the border from Mexico on Jin Yuma, Arizona. Border Patrol agents check for identification of immigrants as they wait to be processed by the U.S.
Migrants are aware of the risks and deception on platforms, Paul noted, but the volume of it makes it more difficult to decipher what is true. “The misinformation has led people in the region to think it’s a lot easier to get into the United States than it is in reality,” said Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project. In its new report, the Tech Transparency Project found migrants predominantly relied on word of mouth and online platforms to get information about the route to the US that was often misleading. But while senior administration officials repeatedly warn people not to journey north, they’re also contending with a multibillion-dollar smuggling industry peddling misinformation to migrants. Since taking office, President Joe Biden has faced an unprecedented number of migrants arriving at the US southern border amid worsening conditions across the Western hemisphere. Human smugglers frequently misrepresent immigration policies and conditions along the US- Mexico border in Facebook and WhatsApp social media posts targeting US-bound migrants, according to a report released Wednesday by a tech transparency group.
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