A viral video erroneously suggests deportations of Kenyans from the US in 2025. An investigation reveals it is actually from 2017 and irrelevant to current events. President Trump’s immigration policies are leading to increased deportations, but the video does not reflect recent incidents, highlighting the importance of fact-checking claims in media.
A circulating video erroneously claims to show a report by KTN News regarding the deportation of Kenyans and Somalis from the United States in 2025. However, a reverse image search has confirmed that this footage originates from 2017, thereby discrediting its association with events that transpired in 2025. Donald Trump, who began his second presidential term in January 2025, has reinforced stringent immigration policies leading to a rise in deportations.
In his recent congressional address, President Trump sought additional funding to bolster deportation efforts, citing security needs along the US border. Despite his administration’s intensified efforts, data from the US Department of Homeland Security reveals that 37,660 individuals were deported in Trump’s inaugural month of his second term, significantly lower than the average deportations during Joe Biden’s presidency.
A video from KTN News that has gained traction on Facebook mentions “DEPORTEES FROM KENYA” and displays various names associated with deportation cases. The report claims that 64 Somalis and 7 Kenyans were deported. Since the inception of Trump’s new immigration policy, a substantial number of Kenyans have been identified among those targeted for deportation, leading to increased anxiety within the Kenyan community in the United States.
Despite the claims, the video is evidently from a time prior to Trump’s current presidency. KTN News ceased operations and merged with KTN Home in 2024, and the reporter Betty Kyallo departed the network well before then, in August 2018. Such facts render it impossible for her to be reporting on events in 2025.
Further investigations using a Google reverse image search traced the original video back to May 12, 2017. This video detailed the deportation of seven Kenyans and 64 Somalis, matching the names listed in the misleading 2025 video, hence proving that it does not pertain to the current political landscape.
In conclusion, the viral video claiming to report on deportations under President Trump in 2025 is a misrepresentation. It is based on footage from 2017, misattributed to a more recent event. The claims surrounding the deportation numbers and policies are serious and merit careful verification to curb the spread of misinformation. Accurate information is crucial to understanding the current immigration climate in the United States, particularly for affected communities.
Original Source: africacheck.org
