Debunking the Right-Wing Lie: Migrants Displacing Homeless Veterans

In recent months, the arrival of asylum-seeking migrants in the United States has generated a wave of alarming and false claims, many of which have been perpetuated on social media platforms. One such claim, highlighted by Fox News and other conservative media outlets, alleged that homeless veterans were being displaced from hotels in upstate New York to accommodate the newly arrived migrants. However, upon closer examination, it became evident that this story was entirely false and had caused significant damage before the truth could prevail.

The false narrative began when Sharon Toney-Finch, the chief executive of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation (YIT), claimed that 20 veterans her organization was housing were displaced to make room for migrants. From there, right-wing media outlets, such as the New York Post, known for its conservative-leaning coverage, published articles starting on May 12 based on these claims. These articles quoted Toney-Finch’s press release and featured alarming headlines that ignited widespread outrage. New York Assembly Member Brian Maher, a Republican, also endorsed the story and introduced legislation to address the alleged displacement.

Then came Fox News, which seized upon the story and provided it with extensive coverage, further amplifying the false claims. Maher himself went on air to describe the alleged displacement as “a total embarrassment” and “a slap in the face to veterans” during a Fox & Friends First interview. “You had combat veterans, who are homeless, who were told to get out of their hotel after one day.” 

Multiple segments were dedicated to the supposed mistreatment of veterans, with hosts and contributors blaming President Joe Biden, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and the Democratic Party for the situation. The story quickly gained traction on social media, with high-profile Republicans and conservative media outlets also sharing the misinformation. 

“Our veterans, the brave men and women who risked their lives to keep America free, now being kicked to the curb? Because of the disaster unfolding on our border?” asked Emily Compagno, Fox News co-host of Outnumbered.

The story began to fall apart when a local newspaper, the Mid Hudson News, reported that an unnamed manager at the Crossroads Hotel, one of the locations mentioned in Toney-Finch’s claims, denied any involvement with displaced veterans. Furthermore, a lawyer representing the hotel in a lawsuit against the city and county affirmed that there were no veterans at the hotel and no displacement occurred. Other hotels mentioned in the story also denied any involvement or displacement, though the Hampton Inn—one of Toney-Finch’s named hotels—declined to comment on the matter. It soon came out that Toney-Finch had coerced veterans into going on camera to support the scam.

Eventually, Assemblyman Maher, who initially championed the false claims, admitted to being misled by Toney-Finch. The New York Post published a follow-up article retracting the original claims, but the damage had already been done. The truth struggled to catch up with the initial misinformation, as the corrected story received significantly less attention than the original.

The spread of the false story underscores the power and influence of media outlets and the urgent need for fact-checking. Poynter noted that “a search of CrowdTangle, a tool that tracks how publicly available content is being shared, showed May 23 that the link to the original New York Post article has been shared nearly 300 times on Facebook by accounts with a cumulative 20 million followers. On Twitter, accounts with a total of about 120,000 followers shared the link.” This is well after the retraction was written.

Investigations are underway to examine the allegations against Toney-Finch's organization, as well as the potential fraud-related issues raised by the false claims. Ryan Greenbaum, a senior district attorney in Orange County, said that “the District Attorney’s Office is investigating the facts and circumstances in this matter as it pertains to allegations of fraud related to veterans.”

The speed at which false, inflammatory information spreads and is joyfully propagated by right-wing propaganda machines paints a bleak outlook for the future of the American media landscape. The internet has made it possible to access large sums of information en masse, but how much of this information is specifically curated to fit a fear-mongering narrative that will manipulate the country into making poor choices or, worse, enacting violence upon marginalized communities? With bad actors ready to scam the public, there is truly no telling what the limits of this problem are and journalists must remain vigilant in pursuit of the truth.