Analysing U.S. Homeland Security ‘fact check’ video
A review of the incidents reveals the official’s statements contain their own inconsistencies and unverified information
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a video on its X (archived here) page of deputy assistant secretary for media relations, Lauren Bis, which it said contained fact-checks on “the lies of the media”.
Bis said in the video released on August 3 that she debunked three “fake news stories” of the week.
The stories included what she called the “Taco Bell Hoax”, the alleged DHS contract with Home Depot and Maryland members of Congress being denied entrance to a Baltimore Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
Bis introduced herself as deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, not mentioning her full title as deputy assistant secretary for media relations.
The “Taco Bell Hoax”
Bis started her video with what she called the “Taco Bell Hoax”, showing a clip of immigration attorney Trisha Charterjee, who claimed in a TikTok video that when she asked an ICE officer for assistance with her clients, she was given the phone number to a Taco Bell restaurant.
In the TikTok video, Charterjee said she contacted ICE on different occasions via phone and email to ask for information on how to help her clients, some of whom were inmates at the Butler County Jail, but obtained no replies.
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Charterjee said she eventually got through to an ICE officer and asked if that officer knew who she should contact.
“The guy on the phone goes, ‘yes, I know exactly who you should talk to, we have an officer who handles all of that. I’ll give you their number, you can call them directly'”, Charterjee said, adding the phone number she received was 614 261 8193.
To her surprise, once she called the number, she discovered it was for a Taco Bell in Columbus.
The phone number is linked to the Taco Bell restaurant in Columbus, Ohio.
In her debunk, Bis said that ICE attempted to reach out to Charterjee after she posted the video to help resolve any issues and help her clients, but she did not attempt to contact the agency.
Charterjee said in a reply to a comment on her TikTok video that she saw the DHS video shared on X referring to her post, but that they did not reach out to help her.
She said in another comment that she eventually talked to the supervisor of the ICE officer with whom she initially spoke, “who gave me what I needed and ‘filed a report'”, without providing further information.
It was not possible to independently verify if an ICE officer gave Charterjee a Taco Bell phone number or if ICE attempted to contact Charterjee after she posted the video.
DHS contract with Home Depot
The second story referred to rumours being spread online that the DHS had a contract with the home improvement store Home Depot to allow ICE agents to arrest immigrants in its parking lots.
A social media post on Threads claimed that Home Depot signed a deal with DHS of $250 million, which would allow ICE agents to stake out their parking lots and arrest immigrants.
Home Depot’s official Threads account replied to the post, saying that “this story is false”.
“We don’t have contracts with DHS or ICE. We aren’t notified that ICE activities are going to happen, and we aren’t involved in them.”
Bis denied the allegation and said the DHS does not notify businesses of targeted enforcement operations.
According to Bis, this “ridiculous claim is just another attempt to smear out brave ICE law enforcement, who are already facing an 830% increase in assaults against them.”
Bis did not provide the source of this statistic, the period of this increase or the exact numbers of assaults compared to the previous period.
There were no media reports on the allegation that a contract between Home Depot and DHS was in place. It was not possible to independently verify this claim.
The rumours might have originated after ICE officers raided several Home Depot parking lots, arresting people they claimed were illegal immigrants.
ICE released a video on May 27 saying that its agents arrested people near a Home Depot in Maryland, who it said were in the country illegally.
Elsewhere, raids at a Home Depot and subsequently at a garment factory in Los Angeles in June sparked protests in the city, prompting President Donald Trump to mobilise the National Guard and Marines to quell the unrest.
The anti-ICE protests spread to other cities, including Seattle, Atlanta and New York City. The ESN covered this story here.
Trump signed several executive orders after being reelected to crack down on immigration, with policy changes including empowering authorities to deport migrants and relaxing rules to allow immigration officers to make more arrests.
Members of Congress were denied entry to a Baltimore ICE facility
The third piece of information Bis mentions refers to Maryland members of Congress’ claim that they were denied entry to a Baltimore ICE detention facility.
Bis refers to the “sanctuary city”, a term generally used to describe jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with ICE authorities.
Bis showcased a post by Johnny Olszewski, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland, in which he said he and his colleagues were denied entry to the ICE detention centre in Baltimore, “despite following all legal requirements”.
Olszewski said Congress has the legal right to inspect ICE facilities amid reports of “inhumane conditions” at detention centres.
Bis said in her debunk video that the members of Congress should have requested to visit the detention facility a week before and scheduled a tour.
“If these members wanted a photo op with the criminal illegal aliens they support, they could have just scheduled a tour.”
According to Bis, this measure prevents interference with the U.S. president’s Article II constitutional authority to “oversee executive department functions”, and the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem must approve any requests to reduce the approval period of one week.
The provisions of Article II of the Constitution confer federal executive power upon the president, laying out the procedures for electing and removing the president from office and establishing the president’s powers and responsibilities.
Bis did not elaborate on how the alleged failure to request entry to an ICE detention facility a week prior could have violated the Constitution’s Article II.
According to an ICE directive of February 2025, not mentioned by Bis, none of the funds made available to the DHS, of which ICE is a part, may be used to prevent members of Congress conducting oversight from entering any facility operated by or for the DHS used to “detain or house aliens”.
“ICE will comply with the law and accommodate Members seeking to visit/tour an ICE detention facility for the purpose of conducting oversight”, according to the directive.
While employees of the U.S. House of Representatives designated by a member of Congress may also enter ICE facilities, they might need to submit a request 24 hours before the intended visit to the facility.
Otherwise, media representatives, local officials, non-governmental organisations and members of the public must file requests for ICE facility tours, which are subject to approval, according to the directive.
Olszewski reacted to Bis’ video shared by the DHS, saying that while no notice was needed, it was submitted with a week’s notice, adding, “Best of luck in court.”
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen said a request for the visit had been submitted, even though it was not needed, citing the ICE directive. Van Hollen said that an ICE official told him and his colleagues that any tours, regardless of notice, were not allowed.
In conclusion, Bis claimed the members of Congress had not complied with the procedures to request entry to an ICE facility and cited Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes the Executive Branch of the federal government, to justify the decision to deny entrance.
Maryland members of Congress said that, although an entry request was not necessary, it had been submitted, and they were denied entry.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Tired of the fake news? Want the TRUTH? DHS is debunking the lies of the media. [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
dhs.gov (2025). Available at: Leadership [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Tiktok.com. (2025). Available at: @trishachat ICE officer. [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Threads (2025). Available at: Home Depot signed a deal that pays them $250 million with DHS [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Social Newswire (2025). Available at: US-MD: Immigration officers jump out of pickup truck to arrest ‘illegal aliens’ in Baltimore
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: My Maryland colleagues and I were DENIED ENTRY to the Baltimore ICE detention center—despite following all legal requirements. [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
Congress.gov (2025). Available at: Constitution of the United States, Article II [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
dhs.gov (2025). Available at: ICE facility visits [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: More lies from @Sec_Noem & DHS. We DID request a visit but we didn’t need to—they’re required by LAW to let us conduct oversight. [Accessed 6 Aug. 2025].