FACT CHECK: Facebook Video Does Not Show Construction Workers Appearing To Flee During January 2025 Immigration Raid

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on Facebook purports to show construction workers appearing to flee a January 2025 immigration raid.

Screenshot captured via Facebook

Verdict: False

The video is not recent but dates back to at least 2023 and was filmed in Tysons, Virginia.

Fact Check:

On Wednesday, The House passed the Laken Riley Act, which “requires the detainment of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes,” according to The Associated Press. The bill passed in a 263 to 156 vote, the outlet reported.

The Facebook video purports to show construction workers appearing to flee a January 2025 immigration raid. A group of men wearing reflective vests run across the street in what appears to be an attempt to escape the purported raid.

“Les cayo immigracion al trabajo,” text superimposed on the video reads. “Immigration fell on them at work,” an English translation of the phrase reads. Besides Facebook, the video circulated on TikTok, where it received over 100 likes.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact was able to determine the location where the video was filmed using three key pieces of information. First, a street sign visible in the video shows Westpark Drive. Likewise, a second sign bears the address 8000. Finally, a nearby building features a bright orange sign with the letters “WT.”

Based on this information, Check Your Fact identified the video as being filmed at 8000 Westpark Drive. A keyword search reveals the address is in McLean, Virginia. Check Your Fact entered the address, “8000 Westpark Drive,” into Google Maps, which produced a street view for the location in Tysons, Virginia. The same bright orange sign with the letters “WT” is visible on a nearby building. The street view is up-to-date as of September 2023.

In addition, a keyword search reveals that the “WT” stands for the Whiting-Turner Construction Company, which has multiple locations across the U.S., including in Arlington, Norfolk, and other areas of Virginia. (RELATED: Social Media Post In Which Greenland Premier Appears To Troll Trump Is Satirical)

Therefore, the Facebook video is not recent but instead dates back to at least 2023, when the area was still under construction. No construction can be seen via a September 2024 street view of the area showing Westpark and Westbranch Drives in Virginia.

Finally, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting the video is recent. Actually, the opposite is true. On Jan. 22, Lead Stories debunked the claim. The outlet also reported that the video dates back to at least 2023, using geolocation data from Google Maps.

Although the claim is false, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have already arrested 500 illegal immigrants following the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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