FACT CHECK: Did US Marines Stop Illegal Immigrants From Voting Early In Virginia?
A post shared on Facebook claims U.S. Marines purportedly stopped illegal immigrants from voting early in three Virginia counties.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 23 article published on the satire website “Real Raw News.”
Fact Check:
Early voting began in Virginia on Sept. 20 and continues through Nov. 2, according to local news outlet WDBJ. In addition, requested absentee ballots were mailed beginning on Sept. 20, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims U.S. Marines purportedly stopped illegal immigrants from voting early in three Virginia counties. The post further claims the Marines allegedly detained illegal immigrants in Fairfax County, who told them they had been instructed to obtain counterfeit voter registration cards and had received $1,500 in cash to vote for 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to the same post, the U.S. Army Cyber Command purportedly monitored a phone call between a Harris campaign spokesperson and Virginia Democratic House Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr., which appeared to allude to the fact that illegal immigrants were being bussed into Virginia to vote for Harris.
The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 23 article published on the satire website “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice [of] legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads. (RELATED: Post Claims Texas DPS Leader Called All Illegal Immigrants ‘Cockroaches’)
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In addition, the claim is neither referenced on the U.S. Marine Corps’ website nor its verified social media accounts. Harris also has not publicly commented on the claim.
Check Your Fact has contacted the U.S. Marine Corps for comment.
