Says the nation is locked down and there’s “a wide open border.”
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Facebook post makes false claim about a lockdown, open borders
If Your Time is short
-
The post is wrong on both counts.
-
There is no nationwide lockdown. Many schools and businesses are open and no state is mandating a stay-at-home order.
-
Thousands of people are arriving at the southern border, but most are being expelled.
A Facebook post appears to criticize policies on immigration and the coronavirus pandemic. But the post misses key facts.
"A locked down nation with a wide open border defies all logic," said the April 7 Facebook post.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Some states continue to have restrictions on public gatherings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, but there is no nationwide lockdown. A few states have a stay-at-home advisory, but no state is mandating it, according to a New York Times tracker.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February also issued guidance for the reopening of schools.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
And while thousands of people are arriving at the southern border on a monthly basis, most are being turned away under a public health law.
"The border is not open, and the vast majority of people are being returned under Title 42," the U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently told PolitiFact.
Title 42 refers to a section of a public health law invoked by the Trump administration in March 2020 to reduce the number of people entering the country during the pandemic. The Biden administration is still enforcing that law, although it’s exempting children who arrive alone, as well as some families.
Featured Fact-check
In March, Border Patrol agents recorded about 168,200 encounters with migrants at the southern border and about 102,000 expulsions.
Our ruling
A Facebook post claimed that the nation is locked down yet there’s "a wide open border."
The post is wrong on both counts. There is no nationwide lockdown. Many schools and businesses are open and no state is mandating a stay-at-home order.
Thousands of people are arriving at the southern border, but most are being expelled.
We rate this post False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, April 7, 2021
PolitiFact, Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro wrongly claims US border is ‘open to anyone from anywhere’, March 23, 2021
CBP.gov, Southwest land border encounters, accessed April 15, 2021
PolitiFact, Biden promise tracker — CDC issues guidance on school reopenings amid COVID-19, Feb. 17, 2021
The New York Times, See Coronavirus Restrictions and Mask Mandates for All 50 States, updated April 15, 2021
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Miriam Valverde
Facebook post makes false claim about a lockdown, open borders
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.