FACT CHECK: Did The Biden White House Open The Gates At The Southern Border For Immigrants To Cross?
A video shared on social media purports that the United States’ border wall gates have been opened by the Biden Administration.
The Biden administration welded open the Trump border wall in Tucson, AZ. It’s not a crisis. It’s by design. pic.twitter.com/B6yNNTn1L0
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 27, 2023
Verdict: Misleading
The gates are opened for monsoon season in Arizona to avoid water damage.
Fact Check:
7,000 migrants were apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents for illegally crossing the U.S. border. Fox News reports that this is double the average of daily crossings during the month of June.
The Twitter post purports President Joe Biden has the border gates welded open to facilitate further illegal immigration. The post shares a video of the open gates taken with a cellphone by a citizen.
The caption reads, “The Biden administration welded open the Trump border wall in Tucson, AZ. It’s not a crisis. It’s by design.
The claim is inaccurate. There are credible news report that suggests these gates need to be open during monsoon season in Arizona and that this practice predates Biden’s administration. The Washington Post reported during the Trump administration that flood gates would need to be installed at the border in order to avoid damage to the structure.
Heavy rain fall has damaged the wall in the past, according to The Tucson Sentinel. These images show the what flash flood can cause. Show the wall destroyed and the gates have been broken off the hinges. (RELATED: Did A Volcano In Ethiopia Erupt Blue Lava?)
Local Arizona journalist Ali Bradley reported on the open gates saying that the Department of Homeland Security crews welded them open for monsoon season and they will remain that way till the end of the season. She appeared on News Nation and claimed that there has been an increase in border crossing due to the decision to open the gates.
This is not the first time misinformation regarding this year’s hurricane season has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a photo allegedly showing a dog trapped in a flood during hurricane Idalia.
