The United Nations has not been “caught helping and coaching” caravans of migrants who want to come to the United States. That’s a misleading claim circulating on a phony website.
“United Nations caught helping and coaching caravan illegal aliens!” said the headline of a Nov. 22 post on usanetwork.info.
The website’s banner USA Network and its internet address — usanetwork.info — seemingly attempts to masquerade as the TV channel USA Network. The internet address for the actual USA Network is usanetwork.com.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The post’s headline and story suggest that the United Nations has been exposed or outed for efforts to move the caravan along and into the United States. That’s not true. The United Nations has provided assistance for migrants, and none of that has happened in a covert manner. The Mexican government in October asked for the United Nations’ help to respond to the migrants’ needs and immigration requests.
The UN’s refugee agency, in line with its humanitarian mission, sent staff to Mexico to help authorities register asylum seekers, to help shelter migrants, and to set up “identification and referral mechanisms for those with specific vulnerabilities and needs.”
The United Nations has also said it’s providing legal advice and counseling to people in the caravans. The organization considers it essential that migrants have a chance to request asylum and that their international protection needs are properly assessed before authorities send them back to their country of origin.
The USA Network post doesn’t describe it that way.
“The United Nations was simply found in a compromising position helping the parade travel to the fringe,” said the usanetwork.info post. “What’s more, now, UN authorities are training the unlawful vagrants on the best way to round out their refuge printed material!”
The post falsely claims that the United Nations paid for transportation to speed up the caravan’s movement in Mexico and toward the United States’ southern border. (The United Nations declined a request from migrants for buses.) The website also argues in favor of cuts to financial assistance the United States provides the United Nations.
“The GOP is truly going to remunerate the UN with a huge number of American taxdol.lars! (sic) You should stop them!” the post said. “It would be ideal if you send your moment and ur.gent (sic) letter to Congress at this moment and FORCE them to safeguard Trump’s slices to the United Nations and pass the American Sovereignty Restoration Act to cut whatever remains of the subsidizing!”
Our ruling
A post on usanetwork.info says, “United Nations caught helping and coaching caravan illegal aliens!”
The United Nations has not been “caught helping and coaching” migrants in caravans wanting to come to the United States. The United Nations, openly, has provided humanitarian assistance and counseling to migrants. The organization has said that immigrants should be allowed to make asylum claims.
The post mischaracterizes the United Nations’ actions. We rate it False.
PolitiFact Rating: 
Truth-o-meter Ruling
Statement
"United Nations caught helping and coaching caravan illegal aliens!"
Context
a blog postSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Usanetwork.info, United Nations Caught Helping and Coaching Caravan Illegal Aliens!, Nov. 22, 2018
UN, UN agency assists Central American caravan migrants, voices concern for receiving countries, Nov. 3, 2018; UNHCR says stabilizing ‘caravan’ situation urgently important, Oct. 23, 2018; As human caravan moves through Mexico, ‘full respect’ needed for national control of borders: UN chief, Oct. 22, 2018; Comunicado: Precisiones respecto de los mandatos y trabajo en México del ACNUR, OIM y ONU-DH, Nov. 9, 2018
Mexican government website, México solicita la intervención de la ONU para atender la caravana migrante, Oct. 18, 2018
USAToday.com, Migrant caravan to leave Mexico City on foot for U.S-Mexico border after failed request for buses, Nov. 9, 2018
NPR, U.N. Refugee Agency Sends Dozens Of Staff To Address Migrant Caravan Needs In Mexico, Oct. 25, 2018
Translations
Language: en