{"id":2512166,"date":"2025-11-19T05:40:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T10:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-playing-whack-a-mole-shooting-down-made-up-ice-stories\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T05:42:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T10:42:41","slug":"dhs-playing-whack-a-mole-shooting-down-made-up-ice-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-playing-whack-a-mole-shooting-down-made-up-ice-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"DHS playing &#8216;whack-a-mole&#8217; shooting down made-up ICE stories"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdhs-playing-whack-a-mole-shooting-down-made-up-ice-stories%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2512166&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is intensifying efforts to combat misinformation, fake news, and AI-generated deepfake videos falsely accusing Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of kidnapping and abusing immigrants and American citizens. DHS Assistant Secretary tricia McLaughlin confirmed plans to work with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platforms<\/a> like Facebook to address the spread of these false narratives, describing the ongoing fight against such disinformation as an &#8220;hourly game of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cdc-director-michigan-should-close-things-down\/\" title=\"CDC Director: Michigan Should \u2018Close Things Down\u2019\">whack-a-mole<\/a>.&#8221; Many fabricated stories began surfacing when federal agents arrived in cities like Los Angeles and Charlotte to enforce immigration laws, with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >fake videos depicting staged arrests<\/a> and emotional scenes that have been proven false. McLaughlin actively debunked these claims,clarifying incidents such as a man reportedly shot by ICE actually having a panic attack and a false claim about an ICE raid on a church. DHS continues to allocate resources to counter these damaging hoaxes aimed at undermining government credibility.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">&lsquo;Lies, smears and AI deepfakes&rsquo;: DHS tackles fake news about ICE<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2402650\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a> is stepping up efforts to combat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-top-conservative-group-slams-aspen-institutes-disinformation-hypocrisy-in-letter\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Top Conservative Group Slams Aspen Institute\u2019s ... \u2018Hypocrisy\u2019 In Letter\">fake news stories<\/a>, viral artificially generated videos, and misinformation online that claim <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/border-patrol\">Border Patrol<\/a> and<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ICE\"> Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a> are abusing and kidnapping illegal immigrants as well as Americans.<\/p>\n<p>Asked on Tuesday if the federal department should contact <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/facebook\/\">Facebook<\/a> and social media companies to do more to stop the rampant misinformation and disinformation circulating online, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> it would do just that.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3890414\/joe-concha-thomas-matthew-crooks-most-undercovered-story-century\/\">Joe Concha laments Thomas Matthew Crooks still &lsquo;most undercovered story of this century&rsquo;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3889183\/charlotte-under-siege-as-border-patrol-agents-descend-on-city\/\">Charlotte &#8216;under siege&#8217; as Border Patrol agents descend on city<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3889181\/map-trump-administration-federal-troops-us-cities\/\">Map: Trump administration&#8217;s deployment of federal troops in US cities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Yes and we are also putting resources forward to ensure DHS combats this,&rdquo; McLaughlin wrote in an email. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like an hourly game of whack-a-mole debunking the scourge of lies, smears and AI deepfakes that are designed to deceive Americans,&rdquo; McLaughlin added. &ldquo;These fake stories don&rsquo;t slow us down &mdash; they just finish off the last shreds of credibility the mainstream media has left.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Made-up stories about federal police kidnapping people off the street <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3482127\/debunking-the-ice-kidnapping-hoaxes\/\">began to surface<\/a> earlier this year when Border Patrol and ICE arrived in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/los-angeles\/\">Los Angeles<\/a> as part of a city-specific crackdown on illegal immigrants. Federal police are permitted to detain or arrest people without warrants, but these types of encounters have been mischaracterized as kidnappings.<\/p>\n<p>As some Border Patrol agents have been temporarily moved inland from the border to ramp up arrests of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illegal-immigrants\/\">illegal immigrants<\/a>, the volume of bogus videos and false information has grown.<\/p>\n<p>One example showed a pregnant woman crying as she was detained and placed into a government vehicle. A Hispanic man is separated from the woman by men in &ldquo;police&rdquo; shirts while he cries out that the woman is &ldquo;due any day.&rdquo; The real-looking video has the word &ldquo;deportation&rdquo; overlaid on it, suggesting that it shows a real arrest that will lead to a deportation.<\/p>\n<p>The account has shared 10 such videos since last Friday, including one that showed a man working in a restaurant being ambushed by men in ICE uniforms and taken out of the business.<\/p>\n<p>Another video from the account showed McDonald&rsquo;s employees being rounded up at work and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/walmart\/\">Walmart<\/a> employees being arrested outside the store. All of the videos were fake.<\/p>\n<p>But the fake news stories and bogus viral videos do not stop there. On Monday, a video shared to an &ldquo;ICE of TikTok&rdquo; account on X purported that ICE had <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ICEofTikTok\/status\/1990160719544012875\">shot a Hispanic man<\/a> in Charlotte, North Carolina. McLaughlin debunked the claim.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;No. This criminal illegal alien from Mexico had a panic attack and was taken to the hospital where he attempted to escape by climbing into the ceiling tiles from the hospital bathroom,&rdquo; McLaughlin corrected in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TriciaOhio\/status\/1990169401325457544\">post to X<\/a>. &ldquo;He was unsuccessful and was apprehended inside the ceiling by law enforcement. He has a prior arrest for assault.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Commentator Sam Stein charged on Tuesday that ICE had raided a church in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/charlotte\/\">Charlotte<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Lost in legitimately major news this weekend is just how inhumane and aggressive ICE&rsquo;s first operations in Charlotte were. Raiding a church, sending folks fleeing into a forest, and leaving kids crying??&rdquo; Stein <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/samstein\/status\/1990434466678862247\">wrote in a post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;False. ICE didn&rsquo;t raid a church,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TriciaOhio\/status\/1990508460157628780\">McLaughlin responded<\/a>. &ldquo;But they were right that I would post on Monday and debunk this crap.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3889183\/charlotte-under-siege-as-border-patrol-agents-descend-on-city\/\">CHARLOTTE &lsquo;UNDER SIEGE&rsquo; AS BORDER PATROL AGENTS DESCEND ON CITY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A social media post from the Occupy Democrats organization <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OccupyDemocrats\/status\/1989062576194363656\">claimed<\/a> that ICE attempted to deport a Native American woman.<\/p>\n<p>McLaughlin <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TriciaOhio\/status\/1990169401325457544\">rebuffed<\/a> the allegation last Friday and said it was &ldquo;dead wrong&rdquo; because &ldquo;this woman was never in ICE custody.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DHS fights fake news, AI deepfakes targeting ICE abuses<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2655,"featured_media":2512167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25241518349547-e1763502040128.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7492,8364,50738],"class_list":["post-2512166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dhs","tag-ice","tag-misinformation-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25241518349547-e1763502040128.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2655"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2512166"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2512170,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512166\/revisions\/2512170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2512167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2512166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2512166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2512166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}