FACT CHECK: Were Two ICE Officials Sent To Gitmo For Purportedly Tipping Off The Media About Immigration Raids?

A post shared on Facebook claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials Russell Hott and Peter Berg were sent to Guantanamo Bay for purportedly tipping off the media about immigration raids.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 19 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.”

Fact Check:

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order ending the use of taxpayer money to support illegal immigration, according to Fox News. The order requires all federal agencies and departments to “identify and end all federally funded programs providing financial benefits to illegal aliens,” the outlet reported.

The post claims Hott and Berg were sent to Guantanamo Bay for purportedly tipping off the media about immigration raids. According to the same post, U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps agents purportedly arrested Hott and Berg, claiming they had a warrant that said the pair had “told MSNBC and [Democratic New York Rep.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez where ICE enforcement would take place.”

The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 19 article published on the satire site “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.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on ICE’s website or its verified social media accounts. Navy JAG has not publicly commented on the claim. Ocasio-Cortez and MSNBC have not addressed the claim, either.

Although the claim is false, Hott and Berg, two senior ICE officials, were recently reassigned “amid pressure to dramatically increase arrests of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally,” according to Reuters. (RELATED: Post Misidentifies Employee Who Blocked Democrats From Entering Department Of Education)

Check Your Fact has contacted Navy JAG for comment.