Fact Check: Did Obama encourage noncitizens to vote in the 2016 election?

WASHINGTON, DC: As President Donald Trump renews his push for stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections, an old video of former President Barack Obama has resurfaced online with a misleading claim. Social media users allege that the 2016 clip shows Obama encouraging people in the US illegally to vote in that year's election. Let's fact-check the claim.

Claim: Barack Obama encouraged people in the US illegally to vote in 2016 election

The viral clip comes from a video published by mitu, a Latino media company, in which actress Gina Rodriguez interviewed Obama about common voting myths ahead of the 2016 election. 

During the interview, Rodriguez asked Obama about concerns that the election might be rigged and whether voting could expose immigrants or their family members to immigration authorities. 

Social media users later took parts of Obama's responses out of context and claimed he was encouraging people in the US illegally to vote.

One viral post stated, "Now that election fraud is in the spotlight, this video is arguably the most concrete evidence that the Dems use illegals to cheat." 

Another claimed, "Flashback to 11/04/2016: Then President Obama openly encouraged illegals to vote in the 2016 election, and assured them that ICE and Federal law enforcement will NOT seek them out or deport them if they vote."

The clip attached to these posts begins with Obama saying, "If you want to vote and you show up at your polling place, they can't stop you," prompting many users to believe he was encouraging people in the US illegally to cast ballots.

Fact Check: False, video is edited

The claim is false. The viral clip has been edited to make it appear that Obama was saying everyone in the US could vote, regardless of their citizenship status.

In the full interview, Obama encouraged eligible voters, including Latino citizens, to participate in the election. He did not support or encourage noncitizens to vote.

During the original interview, actress Gina Rodriguez asked Obama whether the 2016 election was rigged.

Obama said it was not and explained that the US has a history of making it harder for some people to vote, particularly African Americans.

He then encouraged eligible voters to participate, saying that although some efforts may discourage people from voting, "if you want to vote and you show up at your polling place, they can't stop you from voting."

Rodriguez later asked whether immigrants might fear that voting could reveal information about family members who are in the country illegally.

"So if I vote, will immigration know where I live? Will they come for my family?" she asked. Obama responded, "Not true," explaining that people who vote are citizens themselves.

He added that voting allows citizens to represent their own interests as well as those of others in their communities, including people "who can't legally vote."