Fact Check: Is the video showing protesters attacking ICE agents in California real?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A video has been circulating on social media platforms claiming to show protesters attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, amid the tensions surrounding President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies that have led to frequent clashes between federal agents and protestors. Let us fact-check the viral video.
Claim: Residents attack ICE agents in California
The viral video shows a shirtless, masked man approaching three members of law enforcement and punching one in the face, before a crowd chases them down the street, as people are seen throwing objects or filming, while onlookers shout and whistle.
The video is shared with the claim that it happened in Los Angeles, California, involving ICE agents and has spread on multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and X.
The video spread as protesters, including in Los Angeles, clashed with ICE agents throughout Trump's term.
Fact Check: Fake, video is from Mexico, not California
The claim, however, is false, as a reverse image search for the key frames in the video reveals that the same footage was shared on February 11 by Mexican news outlets and journalists.
According to reports, in the original video, workers dedicated to carrying fruits and vegetables at the Central de Abastos wholesale market in Mexico's San Luis Potosi confronted members of the Guardia Civil Estatal San Luis Potosi when the state-level police force responded to reports of a fight between workers.
The location was verified by matching the slogan on the red wall in the background of the footage, "calidad que guía, frescura que ilumina," and the logo to Don Chenchi, a food wholesaler specializing in seeds, chiles, grains, and spices.
Other than the Spanish language in the background, clues such as 'Guardia Civil' on the officer's vest, and a woman's voice shouting "a huevo," an informal Mexican slang expression used to signify enthusiasm, prove that the video was not filmed in Los Angeles.
ICE deployed to airports amid TSA staffing shortage
The video surfaced as Trump said the administration has moved ICE agents into airports to help manage security operations as staffing shortages strain the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Trump stated, “We put ICE in charge of airports,” pointing to long lines and reduced staffing caused by the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding standoff.
Officials say ICE agents are being deployed to assist with tasks such as guarding exits and checking IDs, allowing trained TSA officers to focus on specialized screening duties.
The move comes after weeks of staffing disruptions and growing delays at major US airports.
