Old image shared as 'invasion' at U.S. border ahead of end of Title 42

By: Soham Shah
May 30 2023

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Context

Title 42 was an emergency order adopted in the United States of America in March 2020 by then-President Donald Trump. This was passed due to COVID-19 and restricted migrants from entering the U.S. from the U.S.-Mexico border due to fears of spreading the virus. Previously, migrants could illegally enter and try to claim asylum, but after Title 42, border officials could rapidly expel them and deny them a chance to seek asylum. The policy was lifted on May 11, 2023, after the U.S. COVID public health emergency ended. This means that immigrants can request asylum just like before the pandemic. However, the Biden administration has enacted new restrictions to curb immigration, according to NBC News.

Against this backdrop, an image was shared on Twitter on May 10, 2023, showing many people walking on a wide road holding flags of countries like Honduras and Venezuela. A user shared this with the caption: "Good Morning Patriots!!!🇺🇸 Why do we have an "Invasion" at our border about to take and our elected officials are ignoring the severity of it. The minute Title 42 ends, impeachment proceedings should begin for both Biden & Border Czar Harris. Spkr. McCarthy, are you listening?"

However, the image shared is from June 2022 and does not show an "invasion" at the border now. 

In Fact

A reverse image search of the photo led us to an opinion piece published in Wall Street Journal on June 7, 2022, and a Fiji Times report from June 9, 2022. Both reports carried the same image. They attributed the image to Reuters and said the photo shows a migrant caravan going to the U.S. border in Tapachula, Mexico. 

We then found the Reuters report where the image was also used. Headlined "Migrant caravan in Mexico heads for U.S. border as Americas Summit starts," the report talks about how a migrant caravan from Mexico had taken off towards the U.S. border to coincide with the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. This report was published on June 8, 2022, and the image was dated June 6, 2022. The photo is captioned, "Migrants walk in a caravan to cross the country to reach the U.S. border, as regional leaders gather in Los Angeles to discuss migration and other issues, in Tapachula, Mexico, June 6, 2022."

With Title 42 being lifted, the Biden administration will instead use another decades-old law, Title 8, as the basis of their immigration policy. This law will allow more migrants to request asylum and screen them for "credible fear" of being persecuted in their own country. However, it also carries strict consequences for those migrants crossing illegally, including being removed immediately and barred for five to 10 years from trying again, reports BBC. Before the lifting of Title 42, the U.S. border recorded an influx of migrants, some seeking to make the most of Title 42 and some who felt that the lifting of the order would make it easier for them to enter the U.S. Both reasonings caused the border facilities and authorities to be overwhelmed. However, the viral image did not show the situation on May 10 at the border.

Border crossing from Mexico to the U.S. is a topic that sees multiple social media handles spreading disinformation online. The end of Title 42 has led to a rise in confusion, anti-immigrant sentiment, and claims of "invasions" at the border. Logically Facts has debunked a similar claim in the recent past.

The Verdict

A photo from June 2022 showing a migrant caravan moving from Tapachula, Mexico, to the U.S. border was falsely shared as a U.S. "border invasion" before lifting Title 42. Therefore, we have marked this claim as misleading.