An Instagram post falsely claimed that ‘illegal aliens’ attempted to ‘hijack’ school buses in San Diego, California. The post received widespread attention on social media, including a retweet from Elon Musk. However, the post mischaracterized two incidents involving migrants approaching school buses at stops on their routes. Authorities stated that no hijacking attempts were made, and no crimes were committed as no one forcefully attempted to stop or enter the vehicles. Six migrants were detained for being illegally present in the U.S. after the second incident. Border security has been a crucial issue in the presidential race, with the post tapping into that by referencing the incidents.
The misinformation surrounding the incidents led to concerns about misinformation related to the border. Previous false claims about Vice President Kamala Harris being in charge of the border and 51 million ‘illegals’ entering the U.S. during her term were debunked by USA TODAY. The sheriff’s office confirmed that no one tried to forcibly enter the school buses and that it is not uncommon for community volunteers to provide resources in the area. Despite the widespread sharing of the false claim, USA TODAY reached out to social media users who shared the post but did not receive responses. The incidents were somewhat sensationalized in the post, causing fear and misinformation about the events.
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