POLICY WIRE FACT CHECK: Viral Claims That Adamari López Called ICE to Arrest Employees Are AI
The Claim Viral TikTok posts in September 2026 claimed that Adamari López, a prominent Univision television presenter, had called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to have two of her...
The Claim
Viral TikTok posts in September 2026 claimed that Adamari López, a prominent Univision television presenter, had called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to have two of her employees arrested. These videos, which circulated widely across social media platforms, depicted a scenario where López allegedly stated, Lo hice y lo volveré a hacer, no voy a permitir que los inmigrantes hagan lo que se les dé la gana, los traigo a mi casa y los entregó uno por uno, sobre todo esas ratas mexicanas. The videos suggested that she had reported undocumented workers to ICE, potentially to avoid paying them, and even included fabricated claims that El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, and Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, had demanded her deportation for this alleged action.
The videos were shared on multiple accounts and featured clips of individuals being detained by agents wearing uniforms with English text. They were attributed to Lopez, who is known for hosting the show “Desiguales” and has been active on social media. The claim gained traction as it appeared to align with broader narratives about immigration enforcement and employer responsibility, but it was later revealed to be entirely fabricated.
The Details & Investigation
PolitiFact, in collaboration with Hive Moderation, a tool used to detect AI-generated or manipulated content, analyzed the videos in question. Their findings indicated that approximately 80% of the videos were likely generated using artificial intelligence, with audio elements showing a 93.5% probability of AI origin. This conclusion was reinforced by the fact that many of the clips were taken out of context from real social media posts of Adamari López, including an image from 2022 when she was working on the Telemundo show Hoy Día. The image was repurposed to create a misleading video that portrayed her making inflammatory statements about immigrants.
Further investigation revealed no evidence that Lopez had ever called ICE to report any employees. No official statements from either Bukele or Sheinbaum referenced such an event, and neither leader would have had the authority to demand her deportation, given that Lopez is a U.S. citizen of Puerto Rican descent. Additionally, Lopez herself publicly denied the allegations, stating that the videos were “totalmente falsos” (completely false) and that she had not made those remarks. She also announced legal actions against those spreading the misinformation, emphasizing that no one who worked for her had been targeted by ICE.
📄 POLICY WIRE WHITEPAPER PUBLISHED: PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY PRIORITIES
The videos were also found to be part of a growing trend of AI-generated content designed to deceive users. One of the TikTok accounts sharing the content labeled it as “AI-generated,” indicating that the creator had acknowledged the use of artificial intelligence in its production. Despite this, the videos were still widely shared, highlighting the challenges of identifying and combating deepfakes in real-time. Lopez’s team and Univision also issued statements clarifying that the content was not authentic and urging the public to verify information before sharing it.
The Verdict
The viral claim that Adamari López called ICE to have her employees arrested is unequivocally false. The videos circulating online are AI-generated fabrications, designed to mislead viewers and spread misinformation. There is no credible evidence that Lopez engaged in such behavior, nor did any government officials make the claims attributed to them in the videos. The content was created using synthetic media and repurposed real images of Lopez to give the illusion of authenticity.
Given the deliberate use of artificial intelligence to generate deceptive content, this case represents a clear instance of disinformation. The videos were not accidental errors or misunderstandings, but rather coordinated efforts to manipulate public perception. As such, the claim is rated as FALSE, with a strong emphasis on the role of AI in its creation and dissemination.
Counter-misinformation & disinformation investigation conducted by PolicyWire Editorial Desk (PW).
