Letter: A call for responsibility in public discourse

It is with great and patriotic concern that I address the opinion piece “Vote informed and patriotically” published in the Oct. 18 issue your newspaper, which contained a series of unverified claims about immigration, crime, and government policy. While expressing opinions is a fundamental right, a core responsibility of the press is to prevent the dissemination of misinformation—especially on matters of such grave societal importance. By allowing such unchecked claims to go to print, your paper risks misleading the public and contributing to an atmosphere of fear and confusion.

The letter’s claim of eight million migrants entering the U.S. without vetting, as well as the assertion of thousands of convicted murderers and sex offenders crossing our borders, were particularly troubling. These claims, when examined, fail to hold up to scrutiny and should never have made it into your pages without proper verification. In an era where misinformation is rampant, the role of the media in ensuring accurate public discourse has never been more crucial. It is irresponsible to amplify falsehoods, whether they stem from political rhetoric or unsubstantiated claims.

Sadly, we see this pattern too often today. Misleading statements are broadcast to the public with little regard for the truth. This allows false narratives to flourish unchecked, eroding the ability of citizens to make informed decisions.

Here are some of the inaccuracies from the opinion piece including citations to help readers gain the factual insights they deserve:

*Claim: “8 million people were let into the U.S. without being vetted.” This figure misrepresents border “encounters,” which include many repeat crossers and individuals who are turned away or deported. Since 2021, there have been approximately 10 million border encounters, but many of these involved repeat attempts by the same individuals. The actual number of migrants allowed into the U.S. is much smaller, with about 3.8 million individuals paroled into the U.S. while awaiting court hearings. See: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters for more information.

*Claim: “13,000 convicted murderers and 30,000 convicted sex offenders among migrants.” There is no evidence to support these numbers. In fact, apprehensions at the border have included much smaller numbers of serious criminals. For example, in fiscal year 2022, there were 850 individuals apprehended with criminal records, a figure far lower than the one cited in the letter. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/criminal-noncitizen-statistics

*Claim: Tren de Aragua (TDA) has taken over apartment complexes in U.S. cities. Tren de Aragua is a dangerous gang active in Venezuela and some other South American countries, but there is no credible evidence that it is orchestrating takeovers of apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado. In fact, our very own American gangs have been running drugs, extortion, and other heinous crimes that have plagued our improvised inner cities for decades. Suggesting that “migrants” are somehow making matters worse is just crass “othering” at its best. https://www.auroragov.org/news/whats_new/mayor__council_member_address_gang_concerns

*Claim: Migrants are receiving free phones, debit cards, and air travel, bankrupting FEMA. While some nonprofit organizations and local governments provide temporary aid to migrants, the federal government does not distribute free phones, unrestricted flights, or debit cards on the scale suggested. Additionally, FEMA’s budget is allocated for disaster relief and is not being bankrupted by aid to migrants. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-government-cell-phone-plane-gift-card-migrant-888004665809

*Claim: “The federal government is flying 30,000 migrants into the country every month.” This figure is unsubstantiated. While some individuals are relocated within the U.S. as part of the immigration process, the numbers are far smaller than claimed. Paroling individuals into the U.S. to await legal proceedings is part of a court-supervised process, and the numbers are well below the monthly figure cited in the letter. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3188172/immigrants-leapfrog-border-fly-biden-harris/

*Claim: 10,000 Haitians have been settled in Springfield, Ohio. There is no evidence to suggest that 10,000 Haitian migrants “have been settled.” No credible data supports this claim. These people immigrated legally and settled in Springfield of their own accord. The statement twists the facts which seem aimed at stoking fear. https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/the-true-story-about-why-and-how-haitian-immigrants-came-to-springfield/VOJOZYVU6REMZOFXZOEQQ5RNNU/

*Claim: Migrants are pushing residents out of apartments. There have been isolated reports of landlords accepting government aid to house asylum seekers, but the assertion that large numbers of Americans are being displaced en masse is unsubstantiated and misleading. The scale of displacement suggested in the letter is not reflected in reliable reports. This and similar myths are dispelled here: https://iine.org/2024/04/dispelling-10-common-myths-about-immigrants-and-refugees/

*Claim: Migrants cause car accidents because they have never driven. There is no statistical data supporting the claim that migrants, specifically those who have never driven, are causing a disproportionate number of car accidents. This is an overgeneralization without merit. In fact, granting licenses to migrants has been shown to reduce hit and runs in this study: https://www.thecgo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Hit_and_Run_Migrant_Drivers_Licenses-1.pdf

*Claim: Migrants are responsible for widespread violence against women in the U.S. The idea that migrants are disproportionately responsible for violence against women is not supported by any credible statistics. Crimes involving violence occur across all demographics, and there is no evidence to suggest that migrants are uniquely responsible for these crimes: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/debunking-myth-migrant-crime-wave

*Claim: First and Second Amendment rights are under attack by the government. There are ongoing debates about free speech and gun rights in the U.S., but there is no coordinated government effort to strip away these constitutional rights. The First Amendment continues to be a cornerstone of American democracy—let’s get back to using it to debate the facts and what to do about them.

The dissemination of misinformation undermines the democratic process. As the philosopher Hannah Arendt so insightfully observed, “This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore. A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want.”

I urge you to take greater care in fact-checking the opinion pieces you publish. The public relies on you for accurate information; it is your responsibility to ensure that your platform is not misused to spread and fan the flames of dangerous falsehoods.

I do agree with the author’s closing line in the opinion piece “… vote informed, vote thoughtfully and, most importantly, vote patriotically.”

Jim Brill

Port Chester