Fictitious reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents randomly snatching immigrants off the streets are spreading like wildfire, fueling disinformation and undermining trust in immigration authorities already at increased risk of political violence during deportation operations.

Some of the unsubstantiated claims against ICE are far-fetched, such as a viral TikTok video claiming that the Trump administration is tossing deportees out of planes and into the open ocean. “A family in Italy saw five shackled bodies wash up on the shore,” the TikTok user told millions of viewers.