Univision Debunks “Alt-Right” Photo Meant To Intimidate Hispanic Voters

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Univision's online news show Edición Digital debunked a photo doctored by the alt-right with the purpose of fueling fears about immigrants committing voter fraud and intimidating Hispanic voters. 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has spent the last few weeks of the presidential election stoking fears about the nonexistent threat of voter fraud, insisting that undocumented immigrants are voting -- they're not -- and encouraging his supporters to monitor polling locations in “certain areas,” causing Hispanic media to actively debunk these claims and the racist threats being subsequently emitted from Trump's “alt-right” followers. Univision has been on the forefront of this pushback.

During the October 31 edition of Univision's Edición Digital, reporter Rachel Glickhouse blamed Trump's rhetoric for a doctored “image circulating on Twitter that seems to demonstrate an immigration agent arresting someone who was waiting in line to vote,” an image that is “clearly” made with Photoshop. Glickhouse explained that other Twitter users rightfully called the image “a lie,” but “members of the ”alt-right" continue to divulge these falsehoods" about undocumented immigrants voting.

Glickhouse also reported that the “alt-right” movement has been on the rise, finding a comfortable space in the Trump campaign. Although the "alt-right" was once hidden in the confines of far-right white nationalist media outlets such as Breitbart News, Trump has reinvigorated their movement, giving them a platform to spread hate rhetoric and lies, such as the image meant to intimidate Hispanic and immigrant voters, which was just the most recent example of their racist attacks on the Hispanic community.

From the October 31 edition of Univision.com's Edición Digital:

Translated transcript:

RACHEL GLICKHOUSE (REPORTER): We discovered this image circulating on Twitter that seems to demonstrate an immigration agent arresting someone who was waiting in line to vote. But it is a completely false image. It is a montage of two photos that tries to intimidate Hispanics and immigrants to dissuade them from exercising their right to vote. And what happened? On Twitter, people are saying that it's a lie because clearly it was made with Photoshop, but even still, it continues to circulate among members of the “alt-right,” which are white supremacists. Sadly, rumors and images like these are common on the web, especially after Donald Trump said that the U.S. government is allowing undocumented immigrants to enter to vote, which is a lie and completely false. Nevertheless, these members of the alt-right continue to divulge these falsehoods.

JAVIER OLIVARES (CO-HOST): Rachel, we'd also like to ask why did these images to intimidate Hispanic voters who have the right to vote arise? Why do these types of photographies arise that make many people worried as well?
GLICKHOUSE: Why do they make them? Well, because in this election, this “alt-right” movement is very strong unfortunately. It has grown a lot during Donald Trump's campaign and, as they are racist, they want to suppress the Hispanic vote. 

CAROLINA SARASSA (CO-HOST): Rachel, we thank you. And it's important that people at home know what everyone, of course, already knows, that you have to be an American citizen to be able to vote in these elections, so you at home: don't let anyone fool you.