This evening in Philadelphia, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off for their initial debate in the lead-up to the November 5 election.

Stay tuned as the YSL News Fact-Check Team examines the assertions made by the candidates while providing context on the key issues impacting voters this election season.

We will be on the lookout for statements that may exaggerate, mislead, or misrepresent the truth. Utilizing primary sources, credible nonpartisan references, data, and various research methods, our team will assess the validity of their claims. Additionally, all our sources will be linked for your reference.

Follow Our Video Series on TikTok and Instagram

The YSL News video fact-check series kicked off in March and showcases significant work from our team, covering everything from disproving viral misinformation to verifying major political events.

We publish a new fact-check video weekly across YSL News’s social media platforms and website.

Here are a few of our latest fact-check videos:

• Video: Assessing the accuracy of Kamala Harris’s DNC speech
• Video: Reviewing Donald Trump’s claims during the last night of the RNC
• Video: Clarifying misinformation about Tim Walz’s response to Ann Coulter
• Video: Debunking three viral falsehoods linked to the Trump rally shooting

–Andre Byik

Review Our Fact-Checks from Conventions and Debates

We fact-checked essential speakers at both the Republican and Democratic conventions. You can review here what claims were true, false, or somewhere in between, involving Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Tim Walz, and several others.

• DNC Day 4: Kamala Harris | Live fact check blog
• DNC Day 3: Tim Walz | Live fact check blog
• DNC Day 1: Joe Biden | Live fact check blog
• RNC Day 4: Donald Trump | Live fact check blog
• RNC Day 3: JD Vance | Live fact check blog
• Trump/Biden presidential debate: Review of the candidates’ claims

-Eric Litke

Background on Debate Issues: Immigration Remains a Focus Despite Decrease in Border Encounters

Throughout the presidential campaign, immigration has emerged as a primary concern for voters. Under President Joe Biden’s leadership, illegal border crossings have hit unprecedented levels, averaging over 2 million annually from 2021 to 2023, according to Customs and Border Protection. However, recent months have seen a decline in illegal border encounters to the lowest numbers in almost four years, following Biden’s announcement of significant asylum restrictions.

Contrary to social media claims, Vice President Kamala Harris was never officially assigned as the “border czar,” yet this hasn’t prevented Trump and other Republicans from criticizing her immigration policies. In 2021, Biden appointed Harris to lead diplomatic initiatives with Mexico and Central American countries to mitigate migration pressures at the southern border. During this time, Harris emphasized the administration’s goal to tackle the root causes compelling individuals to migrate.

Trump has asserted that he would implement the most extensive deportation effort in U.S. history if re-elected. He has also indicated plans to revive stringent immigration policies from his previous term, restrict asylum access, and terminate automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents.

In February, a proposed immigration bill intended to revamp national immigration policies was blocked by Republican lawmakers. Biden and Harris attributed the bill’s failure to Trump’s opposition. If elected, Harris has committed to reintroducing the bill into law.

• Claim: Kamala Harris was ‘put in charge of the border’ (False)
• Claim: 51 million ‘illegals’ entered the US under Biden and Harris (False)
• Claim: Biden’s executive order granted citizenship to 1 million undocumented immigrants (False)
• Claim: Nearly 11,000 undocumented individuals were processed in Eagle Pass, Texas, in a single day in mid-March 2024 (False)
• Claim: The Texas National Guard deployed tanks to the border with Mexico (False)

–Chris Mueller