AP News was blasted on X this week for attempting to fact-check a story about President Biden flying 320,000 illegal migrants into more than 40 airports all over the country.
Trump cited the story during his Super Tuesday victory speech.
“[Biden’s] the worst president in the history of our country. There’s never been anything like what’s happening to our country,’ Trump said during remarks from Mar-a-Lago.
“Today it was announced that 325,000 people were flown in from parts unknown. Migrants were flown in. Airplane – not going through borders,’ Trump continued. “Not going through that great Texas barrier that I was with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott the other day and we were looking at the job they’re doing.”
The Associated Press says their “fact-check” found Trump’s claims and others to be unfounded:
Fact Focus: Claims Biden administration is secretly flying migrants into the country are unfounded https://t.co/9zTpMregoi
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 7, 2024
From AP News:
In his Super Tuesday victory speech, former President Donald Trump elevated false information that had gone viral on social media, claiming the Biden administration secretly flew hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States.
But migrants are not being flown into the U.S. randomly. Under a Biden policy in effect since January 2023, up to 30,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter the country monthly if they apply online with a financial sponsor and arrive at a specified airport, paying their own way. Biden exercised his “parole” authority, which, under a 1952 law, allows him to admit people “only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”
[…]
The Center for Immigration Studies website says CBP approved flights that brought 320,000 to the United States last year. The author, Todd Bensman, learned they came to 43 airports but the government refused to divulge which ones, citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act for law enforcement-sensitive information.
Bensman said Wednesday that he doesn’t consider the program secretive, but finds it “enigmatic” and lacking in transparency.”
So the flights aren’t “secret” — it’s just that there is a lack of transparency.
AP was blasted on X for the “fact-check” and for attempting to debunk the story.
The *fact check* literally confirms that it's true… but tries to "debunk" the claim by saying the program isn't "secretive"… just "enigmatic" and "lacking in transparency"
The AP really has become a complete joke. pic.twitter.com/tSW7KrwPI8
— 🚨The Panda Tribune🚨 (@PandaTribune) March 7, 2024
According to the article, it is happening, but it's not really a secret, therefore isn't unfounded.
Our media is a joke.
— Jerry Grey🐊 (@Jerry__Grey) March 7, 2024
Well now we know for sure it’s true
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) March 7, 2024
If you fly foreign nationals into the U.S. from other nations and “refuse to divulge which ones” and the program “lacks transparency” then that’s secretive, making the claims, actually, FOUNDED. #journalism https://t.co/BgBrHeJluv
— Razor (@hale_razor) March 7, 2024
So, the flights are happening but AP says the claim is false because it’s not a secret—it just “lacks transparency” https://t.co/ioVGINjLSU pic.twitter.com/xIVUNd28lv
— Vanessa (@Nessakins_) March 7, 2024