A viral video circulating this week caused a wave of conservative outrage as it appeared to show flyers at a shelter in northeastern Mexico urging migrants to vote for President Joe Biden. However, the humanitarian organization responsible for the shelter has denied any involvement in the creation of these flyers.
Accusations of Resource Center Matamoros encouraging noncitizens to vote gained traction when Spanish-language flyers were discovered online, instructing migrants to vote for Biden illegally upon their arrival in the U.S. The flyers prominently displayed the organization’s logo, although it remains unclear who was responsible for creating and disseminating them. Videos circulating online showed these flyers plastered on the interior walls of portable toilets at the center’s shelter near the Mexico-Texas border.
According to Gaby Zavala, the founder of Resource Center Matamoros, the organization is unaware of the source of the flyers. Zavala emphasized that her group does not support or promote the registration or voting of immigrants in the United States.
The origin of the flyers remained a mystery on Wednesday. The flyers displayed several errors in spelling and grammar and seemed to have directly copied paragraphs from the organization’s English website, which were then translated into Spanish using online translation software.
The episode highlights the speed at which claims regarding the migrant surge at the border can spread and impact the political discourse in the lead-up to the presidential election. Former President Donald Trump and his supporters have taken advantage of this surge to baselessly assert that Democrats are intentionally allowing migrants into the country to bolster Biden’s chances of re-election. It is important to note, however, that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections, and historically, the number of noncitizens attempting to illegally cast a ballot is exceedingly low.
Images and videos of the flyers at the Matamoros center spread like wildfire online after the Heritage Foundation’s oversight arm shared them on the social platform X on Monday evening.
The conservative think tank released an image showcasing one of the flyers, which was attributed to Zavala. The flyer prominently displayed the logos of both the Resource Center Matamoros and another logo in Spanish that said, “all with Biden.” A video was also shared, revealing several flyers posted inside portable toilets, strategically placed where migrants were likely to come across them.
The letter made a mistake in spelling the Spanish word for welcome, “bienvenidos,” as “bienvedinos.” Additionally, there were some minor grammatical errors in Spanish, such as using the incorrect tense (“mientras esperan” instead of “mientras esperen”) and writing “estados unidos” in lower case.
The paragraph seemed to have taken a section from Resource Center Matamoros’ English-language website, with the first two sentences being exactly the same but translated into Spanish. The flyer included two additional sentences, not found on the group’s website, urging migrants to vote for Biden.
The Heritage Foundation expressed its concern regarding a flyer that appears to target vulnerable undocumented individuals, encouraging them to participate in illegal voting. In a social media post, the organization emphasized the potential exploitation of unsophisticated individuals through such means.
Heritage released a brief audio clip featuring Zavala engaging in a conversation with an unidentified male. In the clip, the male expresses his efforts to assist as many individuals as possible before Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, wins another term. Zavala responds, stating, “Believe me, we’re in the same boat.” The nine-second exchange did not delve into the topic of voting or elections any further.
Zavala avoided answering specific questions regarding the exchange and stated that her organization does not endorse or oppose political campaigns for candidates. According to her, engaging in such activities would fall beyond the purview of their mission.
The Heritage Foundation did not respond to a comment request right away.
It remains unclear when the video was filmed, who was responsible for creating and distributing the flyers, how long they were present in the portable toilets, and whether any migrants actually saw them. The think-tank attributed the discovery of the flyers to a website that often discusses border matters, with its founder being a regular guest on streaming shows that endorse conspiracy theories.
Partisan researchers online went on a frenzy, delving into the group’s background, in their quest to uncover any potential connections to various U.S. campaigns and left-wing causes. The flyers made a passing mention of HIAS, a Jewish humanitarian organization on which Mayorkas previously served on the board. This association led to further allegations that both HIAS and the Biden administration were attempting to manipulate the election using the flyers.
According to HIAS, the organization has clarified that it is not responsible for the production of the flyers. It has also stated that it does not endorse the message conveyed in the flyers. Furthermore, HIAS has confirmed that it has had no affiliation with Resource Center Matamoros since 2022.
In its statement, HIAS expressed its concern over the flyers, labeling them as a deliberate effort to spread false information about the organization’s efforts to assist refugees.
During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Dan Bishop of North Carolina raised the issue of the flyers to Secretary Mayorkas. This happened on the same day when the House sent articles of impeachment against him to the Senate.
The internet is abuzz with claims from Trump and other Republicans, who assert that the influx of migrants at the southern border heightens the possibility of undocumented individuals voting illegally within the country.
When individuals in the United States register to vote, they are required to confirm, under penalty of perjury, that they are U.S. citizens. Furthermore, certain states go a step further and cross-reference this information with both federal and state databases to ensure accuracy and legality.
There have been a few stories about noncitizens voting, but when states have actually looked into their voter rolls, they have not found any evidence of a significant number of noncitizens casting ballots in federal elections. In fact, studies have shown that this kind of voting is extremely rare.
