On July 13, someone I’ve never heard of posted this to X: “In America, you are more likely to be killed by ICE than by an immigrant.”
In case you were wondering, this is untrue. Rough estimates indicate a US citizen is far more likely to be killed by an immigrant (documented or undocumented) than by an ICE agent or in ICE custody. Most deaths associated with ICE involve detainees in custody (often due to medical issues), while direct killings of civilians by ICE agents are rare. By contrast, undocumented immigrants alone are responsible for hundreds of homicides per year. We don’t know the precise ratio because the US doesn’t systematically track homicide rates by immigration status, but the gap is very large in the direction opposite to the claim.
But an obviously contradictory reality didn’t stop this poster from proudly stating this lie. How should we understand and respond to the mass phenomenon of people who make claims that are obviously untrue?
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.